Magnetocrystalline anisotropy and dynamic spin reorientation of half-doped Nd_0.5Pr_0.5FeO₃ single crystal

The single crystals of Nd_0.5Pr_0.5FeO_3 were successfully grown by optical floating zone method. Room temperature x-ray diffraction and Laue photograph declared the homogeneity and high quality of the crystal. The significant magnetic anisotropy and multiple magnetic transitions illustrate the complex magnetic structure. At high temperatures (T > 66 K), it shows the typical characteristics of \varGamma _4(G_x, A_y, F_z) state. With the decrease of the temperature, it undergoes a first-order spin reorientation transition from \varGamma _4(G_x, A_y, F_z) to \varGamma _2(F_x, C_y, G_z) state in the temperature window of 45-66 K under an applied magnetic field of 0.01 T. As the temperature drops to \sim 17 K, a new magnetic interaction mechanism works, which results in a further enhancement of magnetization. The T-H phase diagram of Nd_0.5Pr_0.5FeO_3 single crystal was finally constructed.