The magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and dielectric constant of hexagonal YMnO₃, LuMnO₃and ScMnO₃

Abstract

We report the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and dielectric constant for high-purity polycrystalline samples of three hexagonal manganites: YMnO3, LuMnO3 and ScMnO3. These materials can exhibit a ferroelectric transition at very high temperatures (TFE>700 K). At lower temperatures there is magnetic ordering of the frustrated Mn3+ spins (S = 2) on a triangular Mn lattice (YMnO3: TN = 71 K; LuMnO3: TN = 90 K and ScMnO3: TN = 130 K). The transition is characterized by a sharp kink in the magnetic susceptibility at TN below which it continues to increase due to the frustration on the triangular lattice. The specific heat shows one clear continuous phase transition at TN, which is independent of external magnetic field up to 9 T with an entropy content as expected for Mn3+ ions. The temperature-dependent dielectric constant displays a distinct anomaly at TN.