Magnetic properties of spinel FeCr2S4 in high magnetic field

We studied temperature and magnetic field dependence of magnetization, M(T) and M(B), on thiospinel FeCr2S4. We observed a step-like anomaly at T-00 similar to 9 K for M(T) attributed to an orbital order transition in magnetic field 0 <= 7 T. Furthermore, also for M(B), the step-like anomaly appears at B-c similar to 5.5 T below T-00. This suggests an existence of a magnetic phase boundary at B-c in T < T-00. Because the anomaly at B-c of M(B) exists in the orbital ordered phase, the spin structure of FeCr2S4 in T < T-00 is strongly coupled with the lattice of the system. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.