Increasing the phase-transition temperatures in spin-frustrated multiferroic MnWO4 by Mo doping

International audience; Ceramic samples of MnW1-xMoxO4 (x ≤ 0.3) solid solution were prepared by a solid-state route with the goal of increasing the magnitude of the spin-exchange couplings among the Mn2+ ions in the spin spiral multiferroic MnWO4. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical spectroscopy, magnetization, and dielectric permittivity measurements. It was observed that the Néel temperature TN, the spin spiral ordering temperature TM2, and the ferroelectric phase-transition temperature TFE2 of MnWO4 increased upon the nonmagnetic substitution of Mo6+ for W6+. Like pure MnWO4, the ferroelectric critical temperature TFE2(x) coincides with the magnetic ordering temperature TM2(x). A density functional analysis of the spin-exchange interactions for a hypothetical MnMoO4 that is isostructural with MnWO4 suggests that Mo substitution increases the strength of the spin-exchange couplings among Mn2+ in the vicinity of a Mo6+ ion. Our study shows that the Mo-doped MnW1-xMoxO4 (x ≤ 0.3) compounds are spin-frustrated materials that have higher magnetic and ferroelectric phase-transition temperatures than does pure MnWO4.