The magnetic structures and transitions of a potential multiferroic orthoferrite ErFeO{sub 3}

Journal Article · Tue Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4919367· OSTI ID:22402927

Deng, Guochu; Maynard-Casely, Helen E.; Avdeev, Maxim; McIntyre, Garry J. ^[1]; Guo, Peiyin; Ren, Wei; Cao, Shixun ^[2]

---

1. Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, New Illawarra Road, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234 (Australia)
2. Department of Physics, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444 (China)

Rare-earth orthoferrites are very interesting due to their appealing optical and multiferroic properties. In this study, the magnetic structures and transitions of a typical rare-earth orthoferrite, ErFeO{sub 3}, have been reinvestigated in detail. The spin-reorientation transition of the Fe{sup 3+} magnetic phase and the low-temperature magnetic ordering of Er{sup 3+} were observed by neutron powder diffraction. The corresponding magnetic structures have been solved anew by symmetry analysis and refinement of the diffraction results. The magnetic moments of Fe{sup 3+} align in an antiferromagnetic way along the c axis with a weak ferromagnetic component along the b axis below the Néel temperature and above the spin-reorientation transition. Below the spin-reorientation transition, the Fe{sup 3+} moments rotate into an antiferromagnetic ordering state along the b axis with weak ferromagnetic alignment along the c axis. The spin-reorientation takes place in the bc plane. The Er{sup 3+} moments align antiferromagnetically with a C{sub y} mode below 4.5 K. For the Fe{sup 3+} moments, an additional C{sub x} mode is induced by the ordering of the Er{sup 3+} moments. Namely, they change from G{sub y}F{sub z} mode into C{sub x}G{sub y}F{sub z} mode in the Pnma space-group setting. This study resolves the long-lasting dispute about the magnetic structure of ErFeO{sub 3} at low temperature.

• OSTI ID: 22402927
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 16; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
ERBIUM COMPOUNDS
ERBIUM IONS
FERRITES
FERROMAGNETISM
IRON IONS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETIZATION
NEEL TEMPERATURE
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
ORTHORHOMBIC LATTICES
SPIN
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
YTTRIUM FLUORIDES