Unraveling the structural, electronic and magnetic interplay in A2FeIrO6 double perovskites (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) at high pressure

The double perovskites A2BB’O6 with 3d and 5d transition metals in B and B’ sites have unique electronic and magnetic properties due to high crystal fields and strong spin-orbit coupling. These samples can be used as hard magnets or in spintronics applications. Our objective is to unravel the interplay between the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties at high pressures, for the first time. At ambient conditions, it is known that structural distortions originate magnetic and electronic transitions simply by changing the ionic radius of A cation. Therefore, the application of high pressure will enable us to discover emerging electronic and magnetic modifications. We propose to study A2FeIrO6 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) by using x-ray absorption spectroscopy up to 80 GPa, the only technique that allows to study simultaneously the local structure, crystal fields, and the spin-orbit coupling.