  Manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) and copper doped manganese ferrite
(Mn0.75Cu0.25Fe2O4) soft materials were synthesized through solid-state
sintering method. The phase purity and quality were confirmed from x-ray
diffraction patterns. Then the samples were subjected to neutron diffraction
experiment and the diffraction data were analyzed using FullProf software
package. The surface morphology of the soft material samples was studied using
a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Crystal parameters, crystallite
parameters, occupancy at A and B sites of the spinel structure, magnetic
moments of the atoms at various locations, symmetries, oxygen position
parameters, bond lengths etc. were measured and compared with the reference
data. In MnFe2O4, both octahedral (A) and tetrahedral (B) positions are shared
by Mn2+ and Fe2+/3+ cations, here A site is predominantly occupied by Fe2+ and
B site is occupied by Mn at 0.825 occupancy. The Cu2+ ions in Cu0.25Mn0.75Fe2O4
mostly occupy the B site. Copper mostly occupy the Octahedral (16d) sites. The
length of the cubic lattice decreases with the increasing Copper content. The
magnetic properties, i.e. A or B site magnetic moments, net magnetic moment
etc. were measured using neutron diffraction analysis and compared with the
bulk magnetic properties measured with VSM studies.
