Doping tuned spin reorientation and spin switching in praseodymium-samarium orthoferrite single crystals

Xiong Luo; Rubin Li; Xiaoxuan Ma; Yunke Chen; Baojuan Kang; Jincang Zhang; Wei Ren; Zhenjie Feng; Shixun Cao

doi:10.1088/1361-648X/abfd53

Doping tuned spin reorientation and spin switching in praseodymium-samarium orthoferrite single crystals

J Phys Condens Matter. 2021 May 28;33(27). doi: 10.1088/1361-648X/abfd53.

Authors

Xiong Luo¹, Rubin Li¹, Xiaoxuan Ma¹, Yunke Chen¹, Baojuan Kang¹, Jincang Zhang^{1

2}, Wei Ren^{1

2}, Zhenjie Feng^{1

2}, Shixun Cao^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, Materials Genome Institute, International Center for Quantum and Molecular Structures, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, People's Republic of China.
² Shanghai Key Laboratory of High Temperature Superconductors, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, People's Republic of China.

PMID: 33930882
DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/abfd53

Abstract

We investigate the detailed analysis of the magnetic properties in a series of Pr_1-xSm_xFeO₃single crystals fromx= 0 to 1 with an interval of 0.1. Doping controlled spin reorientation transition temperatureT_SRΓ₄(G_x,A_y,F_z) to Γ₂(F_x,C_y,G_z) covers a wide temperature range including room temperature. A 'butterfly'-shape type-I spin switching with 180° magnetization reversal occurs below and above the magnetization compensation points inx= 0.4 to 0.8 compounds. Interestingly, in Pr_0.6Sm_0.4FeO₃single crystal, we find an inadequate spin reorientation transition accompanied by uncompleted type-I spin switching in the temperature region from 138 to 174 K. Furthermore, a type-II spin switching appears at 23 K, as evidenced from the magnetization curve in field-cooled-cooling (FCC) mode initially bifurcate from zero-field-cooled (ZFC) magnetization curve at 40 K and finally drops back to coincide the ZFC magnetization value at 23 K. Our current research reveals a strong and complex competition between Pr³⁺-Fe³⁺and Sm³⁺-Fe³⁺exchange interactions and more importantly renders a window to design spintronic device materials for future potential applications.

Keywords: doping tune; rare earth orthoferrites; spin reorientation; spin switching.