Journal of the Physical Society of Japan · 1978 · 62 citations · 4 references
Natural SciencesMaterials SciencePhysicsCondensed Matter PhysicsMagnetic MaterialsSolid State PhysicsAntiferromagnetismExchange InteractionsFerrimagnetic MaterialsMagnetic OxidesMagnetic Properties Of SolidsMagnetism In SolidsAntiferromagnetic OxidesFerrimagnetic OxidesFerrimagnetismHexagonal LatticesHysteresisMagnetic Sublattice StructureNéel TemperatureSublattice Magnetization
Magnetic properties and electrical conductivity of the YFe 2 O 4 single crystal were investigated. It was disclosed that YFe 2 O 4 is an antiferromagnet whose Néel point is 205 K, and the spin lies parallel to the hexagonal c axis. Below T N , the magnetization parallel to the c axis was not proportional to the magnetic field. A large rotational hysteresis was observed at temperatures between 170 and 120 K. Below 140 K, a weak but very hard ferromagnetic moment parallel to the c axis resulted from field cooling. On the basis of these facts, a model of parasitic ferromagnetism, i.e., preferential location of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ ions on each antiferromagnetic sublattice, is proposed. If such a preferential location is caused by the difference of the exchange interaction constant, YFe 2 O 4 is the first example of an annealed random spin system.
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