Field-Induced Magnetic Properties in RCrO4 Oxides (R=Pr, Gd, Tb, Tm, and Yb)

✍ Scribed by E. Jiménez; J. Isasi; R. Sáez-Puche

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 279 KB
• Volume: 164
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-4596
• DOI: 10.1006/jssc.2001.9476

✦ Synopsis

RCrO 4 oxides (R=Pr, Gd, Tb, Tm, and Yb) have been synthesized at 773 K using the corresponding nitrates as precursors. X-ray diffraction data reveal that these samples are single phases and crystallize with the zircon-type structure, showing tetragonal symmetry, space group I4 1 /amd. All the compounds are antiferromagnetic and the Ne´el temperature, which depends on the R 3+ ion, takes values lower than 30 K. The presence of a canting appears to be responsible for the negative values of the magnetic susceptibility found below the compensation temperature. This uncommon phenomenon is named reversal of magnetization. It is field-dependent, being suppressed at 500 Oe for the TmCrO 4 compound. The highest value of the compensation temperature (24 K) corresponds to the YbCrO 4 oxide. A metamagnetic transition has been observed in all cases at critical fields ranging from 225 Oe (GdCrO 4 ) to 1600 Oe (YbCrO 4 ).