1. Level (Type) of work:

Qualifying graduate thesis/Master thesis.

2. Topic:

Successive structural phase transitions and magnetic structure of complex cobalt oxide Pr_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃

3. Work objective:

Analysis of structural phase transitions in Pr_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ in a wide range of temperatures. Determination of structural parameters of various phases by neutron diffraction and synchrotron radiation techniques. Determination of the magnetic structure of magnetically ordered phases by neutron diffraction.

4. Short description:

Cobalt oxide Pr_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ is a typical representative of complex magnetic oxides of transitive metals, whose properties are determined by a strong correlation between the atomic structure of a specific compound and various types of ordering (magnetic ordering, orbital ordering, ordered arrangement of cations in various charge states). In the Pr_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ compound with decreasing temperature several structural phase transitions from cubic to lower-symmetry triclinic form take place. In addition, two magnetic transitions whose nature is still unclear are observed. The purpose of the work will be to get more precise information on the structure of low-temperature phases and to establish a relationship between the atomic and magnetic structures.

5. Basic facilities and software:

Basic experiments will be carried out on neutron diffractometers in PNPI (Gatchina) and PSI (Switzerland). Experiments on the symmetry of low-temperature phases will be performed on the synchrotron radiation source Sibir-2 in the RRC “Kurchatov Institute”.

6. Results:

Preparation and defense of Diploma thesis.

Preparation of publications and reports to conferences on the basis of the obtained results.

7. Minimum required time: 1 year.

8. Supervisors:

Anatolii Mikhailovich Balagurov, Prof., Doctor of Phys. and Math. Sciences.

9. Contact phone number and e-mail:

+749621-65803, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.