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Main Authors: Jana, Rajesh, Shajahan, Afsal S, Joseph, Boby, Chakraborty, Brahmananda, A, Irshad K, Upadhyay, Anuj, Garg, Alka, Rao, Rekha, Meier, Thomas
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16132
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author Jana, Rajesh
Shajahan, Afsal S
Joseph, Boby
Chakraborty, Brahmananda
A, Irshad K
Upadhyay, Anuj
Garg, Alka
Rao, Rekha
Meier, Thomas
author_facet Jana, Rajesh
Shajahan, Afsal S
Joseph, Boby
Chakraborty, Brahmananda
A, Irshad K
Upadhyay, Anuj
Garg, Alka
Rao, Rekha
Meier, Thomas
contents The high-pressure behavior of two Mn-based honeycomb-structured magnetoelectric materials, Mn4Nb2O9 (MNO) and Mn4Ta2O9 (MTO), was investigated using Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In MTO, the application of a small pressure of only 0.5 GPa induces an isostructural transition driven by local symmetry breaking. With further increase in pressure, three additional isostructural transitions are observed at about 3.2, 6, and 10 GPa, followed by the onset of a long-range structural transition near 14 GPa, where the ambient P-3c1 phase begins to transform into a P2/c phase. These two phases coexist up to 27 GPa. The Nb analogue, MNO, also exhibits similar isostructural transitions at about 2, 6.6, and 10 GPa. However, the onset of the mixed P2/c and P-3c1 phases occurs at a slightly lower pressure of 12.5 GPa, with phase coexistence extending up to 26.5 GPa. These long-range transitions are supported by pressure-dependent enthalpy changes obtained from DFT calculations. Rietveld refinement reveals pronounced anisotropic lattice compression, with a 42 to 49 percent difference between the c and a axes, leading to a notable reduction in the c/a ratio. This anisotropy may strengthen interlayer coupling and promote magnetic ordering under compression, consistent with the appearance of Raman modes similar to those reported at low temperatures, together with anomalous changes in Raman mode linewidth and intensity. The marked changes in Raman self-energy parameters, anomalies in the reduced pressure-Eulerian strain profile, and the onset of local symmetry breaking at much lower pressures in MTO than in MNO highlight the important role of differences in spin-orbit coupling strength and orbital hybridization associated with Nb5+ and Ta5+ cations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_16132
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Pressure-driven vibrational and structural peculiarities in the honeycomb layered magnetoelectrics Mn4(B)2O9 (B= Nb, Ta)
Jana, Rajesh
Shajahan, Afsal S
Joseph, Boby
Chakraborty, Brahmananda
A, Irshad K
Upadhyay, Anuj
Garg, Alka
Rao, Rekha
Meier, Thomas
Materials Science
The high-pressure behavior of two Mn-based honeycomb-structured magnetoelectric materials, Mn4Nb2O9 (MNO) and Mn4Ta2O9 (MTO), was investigated using Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In MTO, the application of a small pressure of only 0.5 GPa induces an isostructural transition driven by local symmetry breaking. With further increase in pressure, three additional isostructural transitions are observed at about 3.2, 6, and 10 GPa, followed by the onset of a long-range structural transition near 14 GPa, where the ambient P-3c1 phase begins to transform into a P2/c phase. These two phases coexist up to 27 GPa. The Nb analogue, MNO, also exhibits similar isostructural transitions at about 2, 6.6, and 10 GPa. However, the onset of the mixed P2/c and P-3c1 phases occurs at a slightly lower pressure of 12.5 GPa, with phase coexistence extending up to 26.5 GPa. These long-range transitions are supported by pressure-dependent enthalpy changes obtained from DFT calculations. Rietveld refinement reveals pronounced anisotropic lattice compression, with a 42 to 49 percent difference between the c and a axes, leading to a notable reduction in the c/a ratio. This anisotropy may strengthen interlayer coupling and promote magnetic ordering under compression, consistent with the appearance of Raman modes similar to those reported at low temperatures, together with anomalous changes in Raman mode linewidth and intensity. The marked changes in Raman self-energy parameters, anomalies in the reduced pressure-Eulerian strain profile, and the onset of local symmetry breaking at much lower pressures in MTO than in MNO highlight the important role of differences in spin-orbit coupling strength and orbital hybridization associated with Nb5+ and Ta5+ cations.
title Pressure-driven vibrational and structural peculiarities in the honeycomb layered magnetoelectrics Mn4(B)2O9 (B= Nb, Ta)
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16132