A combined study of the magnetic properties of GdCrO4

Abstract

We have performed a detailed study of the magnetic properties of GdCrO 4 at low temperatures by complementary use of different macroscopic and microscopic physical techniques. A ferromagnetic order is established in this oxide below TC ≤ 22K. The ordered magnetic moments of the Cr5+ ions are located along the crystallographic c-axis, forming an angle of ≈24° with the ordered moments of the Gd3+ ions. Surprisingly, only 20% of the Gd3+ sublattice orders at the Curie temperature of 22K, while the remaining 80% stays paramagnetic down to around 10K. This 80% of the Gd3+ ions may be ascribed to a low-temperature orthorhombic phase. Moreover, the Gd3+ magnetic order seems to be triggered by a relatively large transferred hyperfine field coming from the Cr5+ sublattice. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.