Giant magnetocaloric effect and temperature induced magnetization jump in GdCrO3 single crystal

Abstract

We report on a systematic study of the single-crystal GdCrO3, which shows various novel magnetic features, such as temperature-induced magnetization reversal (TMR), temperature-induced magnetization jump (TMJ), spin reorientation, and giant magnetocaloric effect (MCE). In the field-cooled cooling process with modest magnetic field along the c axis, GdCrO3 first shows a TMR at Tcomp∼120−130 K and then an abrupt TMJ with a sign change of magnetization at Tjump∼52−120 K, and finally a spin reorientation at TSR∼4−7 K. Interestingly, the remarkable TMJ behavior, which was not reported ever before, persists at higher fields up to 10 kOe even when TMR disappears. In addition, giant MCE with the maximum value of magnetic entropy change reaching ∼31.6 J/kg K for a field change of 44 kOe was also observed in GdCrO3 single crystal, suggesting it could be a potential material for low-T magnetic refrigeration. A possible mechanism for these peculiar magnetic behaviors is discussed based on the various competing magnetic interactions between the 3d electrons of Cr3+ ions and 4f electrons of Gd3+ ions.