Temperature and Magnetic-Field Dependence of the Antiferromagnetism in Pure Chromium

Abstract

The results of neutron-diffraction experiments on the temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the antiferromagnetism in pure chromium are presented. A comparison with previously published temperature-dependence data is given. Temperature hysteresis is generally observed due to the temperature dependence of the magnetic domain structure. Relatively small magnetic fields are found to be sufficient to rotate the polarization associated with a given wave vector. A simple model is proposed, based on thermal fluctuations of polarization of the antiferromagnetic domains as a whole, which explains the magnetic-field effects found in this study and the torque-magnetometer measurements of Montalvo and Marcus. This model accounts for effects on chromium of cooling in a magnetic field.