Magnetic and structural degrees of freedom in 5d double perovskites

Materials adopting the perovskite structure are an important research focus because they can accommodate a huge range of elements to give tailored physical properties. Emerging technologies require increasingly unusual functional materials and so understanding the origins of complex magnetic and electronic behaviour, and how these can be tuned is crucial. Our proposal focuses on the perovskite Pb2MgReO6 in which the heavy Re6+ cation has the potential to adopt unusual magnetic states. We hope to use neutron diffraction to understand the magnetic behaviour of Pb2MgReO6 as well as its crystal structure. By investigating these both using the same technique we will also be able to explore how the magnetism and structure influence each other - both in Pb2MgReO6 and in related materials.