1 research outputs found
Magnetic domains and anisotropy in single crystals of Er(Co,Mn)O3
We have previously reported the magnetic properties of the Er(Co,Mn)O3 solid solution, in which Mn atoms have been partially
substituted by Co. Several magnetic entities coexist in this system (Er3+, Mn3+, Mn4+, Co2+, Co3+), resulting into a subtle interplay
between different interactions and leading to unusual phenomena such as: a spin reversal due to antiferromagnetic exchange between
erbium and transition-metal spins, a step-like transition due to reorientation of magnetic domains, a relaxation mechanism connected to
the rotation energy of the domains, the intersection of the increasing and decreasing branches in the magnetization loops, etc. These
results have been obtained in highly dense ceramic samples for compositions near ErCo0.50Mn0.50O3. In order to better understand the
different mechanisms, we have started a program on crystal growth. High-quality single crystals of orthorhombic structure (S.G. Pbnm)
of Er(Co,Mn)O3 manganite were grown in a floating-zone oven under oxygen atmosphere. Although the zero-field-cooled/field cooled
(ZFC/FC) curves confirm the spin reversal observed in bulk samples, the remarkable effects seen on hysteresis loops for bulk samples
were not present in single crystals, probably due to oxygenation conditions. On the other hand, a very large anisotropy was observed
between two perpendicular orientations of the single crystal.Peer reviewe