Past exam of the chemistry course of the year 4 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / Paper 2 / Section B / 21 / b / Solution

At high temperature, approximately independent paramagnetic ions give the appropriate Curie constant. The negative Weiss temperatures and the reduction of $\chi T$ on cooling initially indicate predominantly antiferromagnetic correlations. The sharp rise near the ordering temperature nevertheless reveals a strongly enhanced low-field magnetic response.

A net moment could arise from a canted antiferromagnet, a ferrimagnet, or a ferromagnet with competing antiferromagnetic interactions. Differences between field-cooled magnetization and zero-field-cooled magnetization suggest history-dependent domain selection or slow relaxation, but are not alone proof of a particular microscopic spin arrangement. An ordinary compensated antiferromagnet would not account for a large ordering-related ferromagnetic-like low-field contribution without an additional mechanism.