Crystal growth and characterization of the rare earth orthoferrite PrFeO3

Large PrFeO3 single crystal 45 mm in length and 6 mm in diameter was successfully grown by the floating zone technique using a four-mirror-image-furnace at 2 mm/h growth rate under flowing air. XRD pattern and X-ray back-reflection Laue photograph indicated good quality of the as-grown PrFeO3 single crystal and confirmed [110]-orthorhombic orientation along the grown direction. Fe/Pr ratio fluctuates a little in different zones and has a slight Fe deficiency in the sediments. The evident magnetic anisotropy was observed by comparing the magnetization with H perpendicular to(110) and H parallel to(110), and confirmed the good quality of the as-grown crystal. Pr3+ moments align from the paramagnetic state into the antiferromagnetic state below 7.6 K. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.