Polar and magnetic layered A-site and rock salt B-site-ordered NaLnFeWO6 (Ln = La, Nd) perovskites

We have expanded the double perovskite family of materials with the unusual combination of layered order in the A sublattice and rock salt order over the B sublattice to compounds NaLaFeWO6 and NaNdFeWO6. The materials have been synthesized and studied by powder X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, electron diffraction, magnetic measurements, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, dielectric measurements, and second harmonic generation. At room temperature, the crystal structures of both compounds can be defined in the noncentrosymmetric monoclinic P2(1) space group resulting from the combination of ordering both in the A and B sublattices, the distortion of the cell due to tilting of the octahedra, and the displacement of certain cations. The magnetic studies show that both compounds are ordered antiferromagnetically below T(N) ≈ 25 K for NaLaFeWO6 and at ∼21 K for NaNdFeWO6. The magnetic structure of NaNdFeWO6 has been solved with a propagation vector k = ((1/2) 0 (1/2)) as an antiferromagnetic arrangement of Fe and Nd moments. Although the samples are potential multiferroics, the dielectric measurements do not show a ferroelectric response.