Unique magnetic properties of Nd based cuprate francisite: Major enhancement upon Co doping

Highlights: • Undoped and Co-doped Nd based cuprate francisite were synthesized. • XRD and EXAFS studies confirmed a substitutional replacement of Cu with Co. • Magnetism has been significantly changed upon Co doping. To understand the physical mechanism of intralayer ferromagnetic (FM) and interlayer antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions in quasi-two-dimensional model of a real three-dimensional system, rare earth (RE)-Nd based cuprate francisite, Cu₃Nd(SeO₃)₂O₂Cl (NdCufr) was doped with Co and studied using structural (X-ray diffraction technique), magnetic (temperature and field dependent magnetization and specific heat measurements) and local structural (X-ray absorption technique) techniques supported by first principle theoretical calculation. The structure of the samples is orthorhombic and doped specimens indicate more or less substitutional incorporation of Co at Cu site. The magnetic properties highlighted with two transitions, viz. AFM to paramagnetic (PM) transition around 30 K and a spin reorientation transition (SRT) below 10 K. Two phenomena viz. magnetic hysteresis below SRT and magnetic field induced metamagnetic transition (MMT) were observed. Co doping significantly enhanced these two phenomena in addition to change the transition temperatures. The concomitant change and enhancement of magnetic properties by Co doping has been interpreted using splitting scheme of Cu-d and Nd-f states. The local structure study corroborates the overall findings and detects the cause of unexpected trend of magnetism with increasing Co doping.