Spin-glass behavior of Cr-doped YMnO3 compounds

Structural and magnetic properties of polycrystalline YMn1-xCrxO3 with x = 0, 0.05, and 0.1, which was prepared by solid-state method, have been investigated. The x-ray diffraction patterns reveal that all the samples are in single phase and show hexagonal structure with P6(3cm) space group. The temperature dependence of magnetization presents that the Cr-doped samples exhibit increase of the ferromagnetic transition temperature due to the double-exchange interaction between Cr3+ and Mn3+ ions. The magnetic hysteresis loops show weak ferromagnetic behavior. The long-time relaxation of magnetization indicates that the Cr dopants favor the spin-glass phase. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4731631]