Spin Glass-like Phase below ~ 210 K in Magnetoelectric Gallium Ferrite

Abstract

In this letter we show the presence of a spin-glass like phase in single crystals of magnetoelectric gallium ferrite (GaFeO3) below ~210 K via temperature dependent ac and dc magnetization studies. Analysis of frequency dispersion of the susceptibility peak at ~210 K using the critical slowing down model and Vogel-Fulcher law strongly suggests the existence of a classical spin-glass like phase. This classical spin glass behavior of GaFeO3 is understood in terms of an outcome of geometrical frustration arising from the inherent site disorder among the antiferromagnetically coupled Fe ions located at octahedral Ga and Fe sites.