Magnetism and exchange bias properties in Ba$_{2}$ScRuO$_{6}$

Abstract

This paper presents structural, detailed magnetic, and exchange bias studies in polycrystalline Ba$_{2}$ScRuO$_{6}$ synthesized at ambient pressure. In contrast to its strontium analogue, this material crystallizes in a 6L hexagonal structure with the space group P$\overline{3}$m1. The Rietveld refinement using the room-temperature powder X-ray diffraction pattern suggests a Ru-Sc disorder in the structure. The temperature variation of the dc-electrical resistivity highlights a semiconducting behaviour with the electron conduction corresponding to the Mott 3D-VRH model. Detailed magnetization measurements show that Ba$_{2}$ScRuO$_{6}$ develops antiferromagnetic ordering at T$_{N}$ $\approx$ 9 K. Interestingly, below 9 K (T$_{N}$), the field cooled (FC) magnetic field variation of the magnetization curves highlights exchange bias effect in the sample. The exchange bias field reaches a maximum value of 1.24 kOe at 2 K. The exchange bias effect below the magnetic ordering temperature can be attributed to inhomogeneous magnetic correlations owing to the disorder in the structure.