In this work we report the synthesis and structural, electronic and magnetic
properties of La1.5Ca0.5CoMnO6 double-perovskite. This is a re-entrant spin
cluster material which exhibits a non-negligible negative exchange bias effect
when it is cooled in zero magnetic field from an unmagnetized state down to low
temperature. X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and
magnetometry results indicate mixed valence state at Co site, leading to
competing magnetic phases and uncompensated spins at the magnetic interfaces.
We compare the results for this Ca-doped material with those reported for the
resemblant compound La1.5Sr0.5CoMnO6, and discuss the much smaller spontaneous
exchange bias effect observed for the former in terms of its structural and
magnetic particularities. For La1.5Ca0.5CoMnO6, when successive magnetization
loops are carried, the spontaneous exchange bias field inverts its sign from
negative to positive from the first to the second measurement. We discuss this
behavior based on the disorder at the magnetic interfaces, related to the
presence of a glassy phase. This compound also exhibits a large conventional
exchange bias, for which there is no sign inversion of the exchange bias field
for consecutive cycles
