Spin Reorientation Induced Exchange Bias Effect in Sm-Substituted YCrO3

Abstract

Polycrystalline samples of Y1-xSmxCrO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) are synthesized through an ethylene glycol-assisted sol-gel auto-combustion route. All the samples crystallize in orthorhombic structure with Pnma symmetry. Magnetic measurement shows intriguing properties, i.e. spin reorientation (SR) followed by exchange bias (EB) effect below TSR. This result is attributed to competing interaction between the Sm and Cr below TSR. Moreover, magnetic transition temperature (TN) is shifted towards higher temperatures from 141 K to 156 K. The temperature and frequency dependence of dielectric permittivity (ε) and loss tangent (tan δ) are analyzed over a wide temperature range of 80-523 K. The temperature-dependent dielectric permittivity is increased with Sm substitution. Moreover, all the compounds show relaxor-like ferroelectric behavior. All the samples follow a p-type polaronic conduction mechanism.