Data for Probing the tunability of magnetism with external pressure in metastable Sr2NiIrO6 double perovskite

High pressure x-ray diffraction (HP-XRD) measurements were carried out at the 16-BM-D beamline of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). HP-XRD data were recorded at T = 10 K and under pressures up to 50 GPa. Fine powder was loaded into the sample chamber (~90-µm hole in a Re gasket preindented to 30 µm) together with He gas as the quasihydrostatic pressure medium and a couple of ruby spheres and gold grains as the in situ pressure calibrants. A symmetric diamond anvil cell (DAC, Princeton) with 300-µm culet anvils was used for these measurements. Data were collected using x-ray radiation with lambda = 0.4016 Å (30.87 keV) and a MAR345 image plate. The two-dimensional diffractograms were integrated using the DIOPTAS software The long-range XAS spectra (EXAFS) at the Ir L3 absorption edge were recorded under applied high pressures (2.5–50 GPa) and at low temperature (10 K) at the ID24 beamline of the ESRF (Grenoble, France). ID24 energy dispersive spectrometer was used to perform the EXAFS measurements. The measurements were also performed in transmission by using a one-dimensional Hamamatsu CCD camera. We used nanopolycrystalline diamond anvils to avoid glitches (i.e.,strong Bragg peaks) from the anvils on the EXAFS spectra. Ruby chips were used as pressure markers and Ne gas was used as pressure transmitting medium. The short-range XAS (XANES) and XMCD measurements under high pressurewere carried out at beamline 4-ID-D of the Advanced PhotonSource, Argonne National Laboratory. The spectra were recorded at the Ir L2,3 absorption edges to probe the Ir 5d states. Circularly polarized x rays were generated using phase-retarding optics. Harmonic rejection was achieved by the combined effects of x-ray reflection from two Pd mirrors at 3.1 mrad incidence angle and detuning of the second crystal in the Si(111) double crystal monochromator. XMCD was measured by switching x-ray helicity (13.1 Hz) and detecting the related modulation in absorption coefficient with a lock-in amplifier. All the measurements were done in transmission geometry. For the high pressure measurements the powdered samples were loaded on copper-beryllium DACs fitted with 300-µm culet anvils and a Re gasket. Ne gas was used as the quasihydrostatic pressure transmitting medium. The samples were cooled in 4He vapor using the variable temperature insert of the superconducting magnet, and pressure was controlled remotely using a He-gas membrane.