Crystal growth and magnetic properties of Nd1-xDyxFe3(BO3)4

Abstract

Data about stability areas of Nd1-xDyxFe3(BO3)4 trigonal phases in fluxes on the bismuth trimolibdate basis and feature of labile phase dynamics conditions is noted. Group growth conditions of these phases single crystals on seeds and at spontaneous nucleation in a thin layer of flux on crystal carrier are described. Temperature and field dependences of magnetization and a specific heat for crystals with x = 0,1 and x = 0,25 are analyzed. The conclusion, that unlike easy plane NdFe3(BO3)4 antiferromagnetic and easy axis DyFe3(BO3)4 ones, spontaneous spin-flop transitions are inherent in these single crystals is resulted and it is connected with mutual influence of rare-earth subsystems through the common Fe-subsystem with strong exchange interaction. The anisotropies competition exerts essential influence on induced by field H parallel c3 magnetic phase transitions too.