Symmetry, magnetic transitions and multiferroic properties of <i>B</i>-site-ordered <i>A</i> ₂Mn<i>B</i>′O₆ perovskites (<i>B</i>′ = [Co, Ni])

The presence of magnetic atoms at the A and B sites and the coupling between these two spin subsystems in perovskites gives rise to a variety of exciting effects. In particular this coupling attracts interest from the field of novel multiferroic and magnetoelectric oxides. Moreover, magnetic double perovskites presenting cationic order at the B sites incorporate an additional modulation that can favor symmetry breaking, multiferroic, magnetoelectric and polar phases. Here, we describe the magnetic structures obtained from neutron diffraction and analyze the symmetry properties of well ordered A₂MnB'O₆ double perovskites with A = Lu, Yb, Tm, Er, Ho, Y, Tb, La_0.5Tb_0.5, La and B' = Co or Ni. A rich variety of magnetic orders is formed that have been identified and described, and their symmetry properties are discussed in relation to the multiferroic and magnetoelectric properties of the different compounds.