Investigation of multi-mode spin-phonon coupling and local B-site disorder in PrCoFeO by Raman spectroscopy and correlation with its electronic structure by XPS and XAS studies.

Electronic structure of PrCoFeO (at 300 K) was investigated by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques. All three cations, i.e. Pr, Co and Fe were found to be trivalent in nature. XPS valance band analysis suggested the system to be insulating in nature. The analysis suggested that Co ions exist in low spin state in the system. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy study indicated the random distribution of the B-site ions (Co/Fe) triggered by same charge states. In temperature-dependent Raman study, the relative heights of the two observed phonon modes exhibited anomalous behaviour near magnetic transition temperature T ~ 270 K, thus indicating towards interplay between spin and phonon degrees of freedom in the system. Furthermore, clear anomalous softening was observed below T which confirmed the existence of strong spin-phonon coupling occurring for at least two phonon modes of the system. The line width analysis of the phonon modes essentially ruled out the role of magnetostriction effect in the observed phonon anomaly. The investigation of the lattice parameter variation across T (obtained from the temperature-dependent neutron diffraction measurements) further confirmed the existence of the spin-phonon coupling.