High-quality single crystal growth and magnetic property of Mn4Ta2O9

Abstract A large-size single crystal of Mn 4 Ta 2 O 9 with ∼3.5 mm in diameter and ∼65 mm in length was successfully grown for the first time by a newly designed one-step method based on the optical floating zone technique. Both the clear Laue spots and sharp XRD Bragg reflections suggest the high quality of the single crystal. In Mn 4 Ta 2 O 9 single crystal, an antiferromagnetic phase transition was observed below Neel temperature 102 K along c axis, which is similar to the isostructural compound Mn 4 Nb 2 O 9 , but differs from the isostructural Co 4 Nb 2 O 9 . Relative dielectric constant at 30 kOe suggests that no magnetoelectric coupling exists in Mn 4 Ta 2 O 9 .