Abstract: We investigate the effects of an applied magnetic field on the magnetic properties of the antiferromagnet GdCoIn 5 . The prominent anisotropy observed in the susceptibility below TN is rapidly suppressed by a field of just a few Tesla. Further evidence of this low energy-scale is obtained from magnetoresistance and magnetostriction experiments. The lattice length, particularly, shows a sudden change below 2 T when the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the crystallographic c^ -axis.

Abstract: New double perovskites LaPbMSbO₆, where M²⁺ = Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺, were synthesized as polycrystals by an aqueous synthetic route at temperatures below 1000 ^°C. All samples are monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, as it is observed from Rietveld analysis of X-ray powder diffraction patterns. The distribution of M²⁺ and Sb⁵⁺ among the two octahedral sites have 3% of disorder for M²⁺ = Ni²⁺, whereas for M²⁺ = Mn²⁺ and Co²⁺ less disorder is found. The three samples have an antiferromagnetic transition, due to the antiferromagnetic coupling between M^{2 +} through super-superexchange paths M²⁺-O^2--Sb⁵⁺-O^2--M²⁺. Transition temperatures are low: 8, 10 and 17 K for Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni^{2 +} respectively, as a consequence of the relatively long distances between the magnetic ions M²⁺. Besides, for LaPbMnSbO₆ a small transition at 45 K was found, with ferrimagnetic characteristics, possibly as a consequence of a small disorder between Mn²⁺ and Sb⁵⁺. This disorder would give additional and shorter interaction paths: superexchange Mn²⁺-O^2--Mn²⁺.