Electron spin resonance study of the single-ion anisotropy in the pyrochlore antiferromagnet Gd2Sn2O7

Single-ion anisotropy is of importance for the magnetic ordering of the frustrated pyrochlore anti ferromagnets Gd2Ti2O7 and Gd2Sn2O7. The anisotropy parameters for Gd2Sn2O7 were measured using the electron spin resonance technique. The anisotropy was found to be of the easy plane type, with the main constant D = 140 mK. This value is 35% smaller than the value of the corresponding anisotropy constant of the related compound Gd2Ti2O7.