Magnetic control of spin reorientation and magnetodielectric effect below the spin compensation temperature in TmFeO3

Abstract

The onset of antiferromagnetic transition, spin reorientation, and spin compensation of TmFeO3 single crystals were investigated by the magnetic and heat capacity measurements. Control of spin reorientation by magnetic field and anomalous hysteretic behavior in domain switching were clarified. No appreciable magnetodielectric effect was observed in spin reorientation temperature region. On the other hand, below the spin compensation temperature both a dielectric anomaly along the c axis and a concomitant magnetodielectric effect up to similar to 4% at 80 kOe were observed. This suggests that rare-earth orthoferrites can be another candidate for magnetodielectric system through the mediation of spin compensation phenomena. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.