  A systematic study of (A,A')2FeMoO6 (A,A'=Ca, Sr, Ba) ferromagnetic oxides
with double perovskite structure has been performed using 95,97Mo and 57Fe NMR
spectroscopy. These oxides are isoelectronic but have substantially different
Curie temperatures. The NMR analysis provides clear evidence that the magnetic
moment at Mo sites is not constant but varies sensitively with the ionic size
of the alkaline ions. The 95,97Mo frequency, and thus the electronic charge at
Mo ions, is found to be smaller in Ba and Ca than in Sr-based oxides. The
charge release from Mo sites is accompanied by an uptake at Fe sites, and thus
a self-doping Fe-Mo process is observed. This process is controlled by relevant
structural parameters: the Fe-O-Mo bond length and bending. A clear
relationship between the Curie temperature and the magnetic moment and thus
electron density at Mo sites has been disclosed. The relevance of these
findings for the understanding of ferromagnetic coupling in double perovskites
is discussed.
