  The complex metal oxide Mn3TeO6 exhibits a corundum related structure and has
been prepared both in forms of single crystals by chemical transport reactions
and of polycrystalline powders by a solid state reaction route. The crystal
structure and magnetic properties have been investigated using a combination of
X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, electron microscopy, calorimetric and
magnetic measurements. At room temperature this compound adopts a trigonal
structure, space group R3 with a = 8.8679(1) {\AA}, c = 10.6727(2) {\AA}. A
long-range magnetically ordered state is identified below 23 K. An unexpected
feature of this magnetic structure is several types of Mn-chains. Under the
action of the incommensurate magnetic propagation vector k = [0, 0, 0.4302(1)]
the unique Mn site is split into two magnetically different orbits. One orbit
forms a perfect helix with the spiral axis along the c-axis while the other
orbit has a sine wave character along the c-axis.
