Weak ferrimagnets of the YFe1-xCrxO3 type: negative magnetization and spin reorientation

Abstract

In this work, we present an analysis of magnetic properties of weak ferrimagnets of the YFe$_{1-x}$Cr$_x$O$_3$ type. Taking into account the main spin interactions - isotropic Heisenberg superexchange, antisymmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya exchange, single-ion spin anisotropy - calculations of the free energy, concentration and temperature dependences of magnetization were carried out within a framework of a molecular field model. In particular, the model demonstrates the phenomena of temperature compensation and negative magnetization, as well as spin reorientation. The compensation temperature reaches room temperature T = 300 K in a composition with x = 0.45. The existence of magnetic structures of the $G_{xyz}$ type with the spatial orientation of the Neel vector is predicted.