Evidence of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic superexchange interactions in bulk TbMn1−xCrxO3

Abstract

Powder samples of solid solution TbMn1−xCrxO3 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1) were synthesized via a facile solution route. The substitution of non-Jahn–Teller active Cr3+ for Mn3+ in TbMnO3 was found to decrease the unit cell volume and orthorhombic distortion. TbMn1−xCrxO3 with low Cr content (x ⩽ 0.33) exhibited magnetic behavior similar to the pure TbMnO3 sample. However, ferromagnetic-like Mn–Cr interactions were introduced in these samples and maximum magnetic field coercivity and remanence were found at x ∼ 0.33. For x⩾0.5, signatures of a canted G-type antiferromagnetic ordering similar to pure TbCrO3 were observed. The Mn3+/Cr3+ spins rotate from parallel to the a-axis to parallel to the c-axis with increasing Cr content. Based on the magnetization results, a magnetic phase diagram for bulk solid solution TbMn1−xCrxO3 has been proposed for the first time.