Structural phase transition in cobalt oxyfluoride CoSbOF observed by high-resolution synchrotron and neutron diffraction

Shimono, Seiya*; Ishibashi, Hiroki*; Nagayoshi, Yusuke*; Ikeno, Hidekazu*; Kawaguchi, Shogo*; Hagihara, Masato   ; Torii, Shuki*; Kamiyama, Takashi*; Ichihashi, Katsuya*; Nishihara, Sadafumi*; Inoue, Katsuya*; Ishii, Yui*; Kubota, Yoshiki*

The structural phase transition from cubic () to a tetragonal () at 180 K was found in non-centrosymmetric oxyfluoride CoSbOF by high-resolution neutron and synchrotron powder diffraction. To investigate this phase transition, specific heat, magnetization, and dielectric measurements were performed. Although the specific heat and dielectric constant showed anomalies at , a phase transition to ferroelectricity was not observed in the polarization hysteresis loop down to 30 K. The rotation of the CoOF octahedron was observed at from the structural analysis using synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction data. It was found that the magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic to G-type antiferromagnetic occurred at 67 K, at which a peak was observed in the specific heat measurements, via magnetic structure analysis using neutron powder diffraction data. The magnetic moments of Co were aligned along the tetragonal -axis direction with a Co moment of 2.80(1) at 13 K.