Temperature-dependent magnetic circular dichroism study of ferromagnetic double perovskite La2MnNiO6

Abstract

The temperature-dependent electronic structure of ferromagnetic double perovskite La2MnNiO6 has been investigated by employing soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The measured 2p XAS spectra for Mn and Ni ions at low temperature show that most of Mn ions are formally tetravalent (3d(3)) and that Ni ions are divalent (3d(8)). The measured Ni 2p core-level x-ray photoemission spectroscopy spectrum also supports the divalent states of Ni ions. With increasing temperature, the measured XMCD intensity decreases, in agreement with its high Curie temperature. The line shapes of both XMCD and XAS spectra do not change with temperature, suggesting that the valence states of La2MnNiO6 do not change with temperature. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3340448]