Magnetic structure in iron borates RFe₃(BO₃)₄(R = Er, Pr): a neutron diffraction and magnetization study

Abstract

Neutron diffraction, susceptibility and magnetization measurements (for R = Er only) were performed on iron borates RFe(3)(BO(3))(4) (R = Pr, Er) to investigate details of the crystallographic structure, the low temperature magnetic structures and transitions and to study the role of the rare earth anisotropy. PrFe(3)(BO(3))(4), which crystallizes in the spacegroup R32, becomes antiferromagnetic at T(N) = 32 K, with τ = [0 0 3/2], while ErFe(3)(BO(3))(4), which keeps the P3(1)21 symmetry over the whole studied temperature range 1.5 K < T < 520 K, becomes antiferromagnetic below T(N) = 40 K, with τ = [0 0 1/2]. Both magnetic propagation vectors lead to a doubling of the crystallographic unit cell in the c-direction. Due to the strong polarization of the Fe-sublattice, the magnetic ordering of the rare earth sublattices appears simultaneously at T(N). The moment directions are determined by the rare earth anisotropy: easy-axis along c for PrFe(3)(BO(3))(4) and easy-plane a-b for ErFe(3)(BO(3))(4). There are no spin reorientations present in either of the two compounds but there is the appearance below 10 K of a minority phase in the Er-compound adopting a 120° arrangement of the Er-moments.