Synthesis, Structure, and Physical Properties of the Polar Magnet DyCrWO6

It has recently been reported that the ordered aeschynite-type polar (Pna2(1)) magnets RFeWO6 (R = Eu, Tb, Dy, Y) exhibit type II multiferroic properties below T-N similar to 15-18 K. Herein, we report a comprehensive investigation of the isostructural oxide DyCrWO6 and compare the results with those of DyFeWO6. The cation-ordered oxide DyCrWO6 crystallizes in the same polar orthorhombic structure and undergoes antiferromagnetic ordering at T-N = 25 K. Contrary to DyFeWO6, only a very weak dielectric anomaly and magnetodielectric effects are observed at the Neel temperature and, more importantly, there is no induced polarization at T-N. Furthermore, analysis of the low-temperature neutron diffraction data reveals a collinear arrangement of Cr spins but a noncollinear Dy-spin configuration,due to single-ion anisotropy. We suggest that the collinear arrangement of Cr spins may be responsible for the absence of electric polarization in DyCrWO6. A temperature-induced magnetization reversal and magnetocaloric effects are observed at low temperatures.