A common behaviour of thermoelectric layered cobaltites: incommensurate spin density wave states in [Ca2Co4/3Cu2/3O4]0.62[CoO2] and [Ca2CoO3]0.62[CoO2]

Magnetism of a misfit layered cobaltite [Ca 2 Co 4/3 Cu 2/3 O 4 ] x RS [CoO 2 ] ( , RS denotes a rocksalt-type block) was investigated by a positive muon spin rotation and relaxation (μ + SR) experiment. A transition to an incommensurate (IC) spin density wave (SDW) state was found below 180 K (= T C on ); and a clear oscillation due to a static internal magnetic field was observed below 140 K (= T C ). Furthermore, an anisotropic behaviour of the zero-field μ + SR experiment indicated that the IC-SDW lies in the a – b plane, with oscillating moments directed along the c axis. These results were quite similar to those for the related compound [Ca 2 CoO 3 ] 0.62 RS [CoO 2 ], i.e., Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 . Since the IC-SDW field in [Ca 2 Co 4/3 Cu 2/3 O 4 ] 0.62 RS [CoO 2 ] was approximately the same as those in pure and doped [Ca 2 CoO 3 ] 0.62 RS [CoO 2 ], it was concluded that the IC-SDW exists in the [CoO 2 ] planes.