Crystalline and magnetic structures, magnetization, heat capacity and anisotropic magnetostriction effect in a yttrium-chromium oxide

Abstract

We have studied a nearly stoichiometric insulating Y${}_{0.97(2)}$Cr${}_{0.98(2)}$O${}_{3.00(2)}$ single crystal by performing measurements of magnetization, heat capacity, and neutron diffraction. Albeit that the YCrO${}_3$ compound behaviors like a soft ferromagnet with a coersive force of $\sim$ 0.05 T, there exist strong antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions between Cr${}^{3+}$ spins due to a strongly negative paramagnetic Curie-Weiss temperature, i.e., -433.2(6) K. The coexistence of ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism may indicate a canted AFM structure. The AFM phase transition occurs at $T_{\text{N}}=$ 141.5(1) K, which increases to $T_{\text{N}}$(5T) = 144.5(1) K at 5 T. Within the accuracy of the present neuron-diffraction studies, we determine a G-type AFM structure with a propagation vector \textbf{k} = (1 1 0) and Cr${}^{3+}$ spin directions along the crystallographic \emph{c} axis of the orthorhombic structure with space group \emph{Pnma} below $T_{\text{N}}$. At 12 K, the refined moment size is 2.45(6) ${\mu }_{\text{B}}$, $\sim$ 82\% of the theoretical saturation value 3 ${\mu }_{\text{B}}$. The Cr${}^{3+}$ spin interactions are probably two-dimensional Ising like within the reciprocal (1 1 0) scattering plane. Below $T_{\text{N}}$, the lattice configuration (\emph{a}, \emph{b}, \emph{c}, and \emph{V}) deviates largely downward from the Gr$\ddot{\text{u}}$neisen law, displaying an anisotropic magnetostriction effect and a magnetoelastic effect. Especially, the sample contraction upon cooling is enhanced below the AFM transition temperature. There is evidence to suggest that the actual crystalline symmetry of YCrO${}_3$ compound is probably lower than the currently assumed one. Additionally, we compared the $t_{2\text{g}}$ YCrO${}_3$ and the $e_{\text{g}}$ La${}_{7/8}$Sr${}_{1/8}$MnO${}_3$ single crystals for a further understanding of the reason for the possible symmetry lowering.

arXiv comment13 pages, 13 figures

References in corpus (16)

• Ferroelectricity in spiral magnets
• Magnetic inversion symmetry breaking and ferroelectricity in TbMnO3
• Biferroic YCrO3
• The High Temperature Phase Transitions of Hexagonal YMnO3
• Possible magnetic-polaron-switched positive and negative magnetoresistance in the GdSi single crystal
• A second-order spin-flop transition in collinear two-sublattice antiferromagnets
• Incommensurate antiferromagnetic order in the manifoldly-frustrated SrTb${}_2$O${}_4$ with transition temperature up to 4.28 K
• Magnetic structure and orbital ordering in KCrF3 perovskite
• Field-temperature phase diagram of magnetic bubbles spanning charge$/$orbital ordered and metallic phases in La${}_{1-x}$Sr${}_x$MnO${}_3$ ($x=0.125$)
• High-temperature magnetism and crystallography of a YCrO${}_3$ single crystal
• Magnetic structures and the Ce-Fe coupling induced Fe spin reorientation in CeFeAsO single crystal
• Non-collinear magnetic structure and anisotropic magnetoelastic coupling in cobalt pyrovanadate Co2V2O7
• Magnetization, crystal structure and anisotropic thermal expansion of single-crystal SrEr2O4
• Super-Necking Crystal Growth and Structural and Magnetic Properties of SrTb${}_2$O${}_4$ Single Crystals
• Nonmagnetic ordering state of single-crystal SrTm${}_2$O${}_4$: A polarized and unpolarized neutron-scattering study
• Anisotropic magnetoelastic coupling in single-crystalline CeFeAsO as seen via high-resolution x-ray diffraction

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Enhanced magnetocaloric effect and magnetic phase diagrams of single-crystal GdCrO${}_3$
• A comprehensive review on the ferroelectric orthochromates: Synthesis, property, and application
• Crystal growth engineering and origin of the weak ferromagnetism in antiferromagnetic matrix of orthochromates from $t$-$e$ orbital hybridization
• Tuning magnetic and optical properties through strain in epitaxial LaCrO3 thin films
• Insights into the structural symmetry of single-crystal YCrO${}_3$ from synchrotron X-ray diffraction
• Temperature-dependent structure and magnetization of YCrO${}_3$ compound
• Structure and magnetic properties of a La${}_{0.75}$Sr${}_{0.25}$Cr${}_{0.90}$O${}_{3-\delta }$ single crystal