Study of spin-phonon coupling and magnetic field induced spin reorientation in polycrystalline multiferroic $GdFeO_3$

Abstract

The present work reports the preparation of polycrystalline multiferroic $GdFeO_3$ (GdFO) and characterization with x-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization, temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy, temperature and magnetic field dependent $^{57}Fe$ M$\ddot{o}$ssbauer spectroscopy measurements. The sample is found to be phase pure from Rietveld refinement of XRD pattern. The M$\ddot{o}$ssbauer spectra measured in the presence of external magnetic field show the signatures of field induced spin reorientation transition, which are corroborated by magnetization measurements. From the temperature dependent variation of internal hyperfine field, N$\grave{e}$el transition temperature ($T_{N,Fe}$) of 672.5$\pm$0.2 K and critical exponent ($\beta$) of 0.333$\pm$0.003 is obtained. Temperature dependent (300 - 760 K) Raman spectroscopy measurements show the signatures of spin-phonon coupling and local structural re-arrangement across $T_{N,Fe}$.