Spin reorientation and spin-flop transition in multiferroic manganites Y1-xTbxMnO3 (x=0, 0.1, 0.2) single crystals

We investigated the structure and magnetic properties of the multiferroic hexagonal manganite Y1-xTbxMnO3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2) single crystals. At 23 K, a Mn spin reorientation transition, which is not reported in the parent compound YMnO3, is observed in Y0.8Tb0.2MnO3. At a lower temperature, another new transition is observed in the doping system, which is attributed to the formation of long range antiferromagntic order of the doped Tb3+ moments. Based on the experimental results, we suggest that the effect of Tb doping is to bring about the increase of the Mn-O-Mn bond angle and the relief of the magnetic frustration. With increasing the doping level, for x = 0.2, when a magnetic field is applied parallel to the c axis, the field induced spin-flop transition is appeared, which indicates the reorientation of the Mn3+ moments along with the field-induced ferromagnetic ordering of the Tb3+ moments. These results suggest that the possibility of the Tb doping can change the magnetic structure and ferroelectricity properties of YMnO3. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4704691]