Growth of Ba₂CoWO₆ single crystals and their magnetic, thermodynamic and electronic properties

Abstract

This study explores the bulk crystal growth, structural characterization, and physical property measurements of the cubic double perovskite Ba2CoWO6 (BCWO). In BCWO, Co2+ ions form a face-centred cubic lattice with non-distorted cobalt octahedra. The compound exhibits long-range antiferromagnetic order below T N = 14 K. Magnetization data indicated a slight anisotropy along with a spin-flop transition at 10 kOe, a saturation field of 310 kOe and an ordered moment of 2.17 µB at T = 1.6 K. Heat capacity measurements indicate an effective j = 1/2 ground state configuration, resulting from the combined effects of the crystal electric field and spin-orbit interaction. Surface photovoltage analysis reveals two optical gaps in the UV–Visible region, suggesting potential applications in photocatalysis and photovoltaics. The magnetic and optical properties highlight the significant role of orbital contributions within BCWO, indicating various other potential applications.