Single crystal growth and magnetic properties of Sm0.7Tb0.3FeO3 orthoferrite single crystal

High quality Sm 0.7 Tb 0.3 FeO 3 single crystal has been grown by the four-mirror floating zone technique. The magnetic properties of Sm 0.7 Tb 0.3 FeO 3 single crystal were studied in the temperature range from 3 to 400 K. A clear spin reorientation behavior with the gradual transition of the Fe 3+ magnetic moment ordering from { G z , F x }-type ordering at low temperatures to { G x , F z }-type ordering at high temperatures is observed in a range of 330–360 K, which is significantly lower than that of SmFeO 3 , while significantly higher than that of TbFeO 3 . Interestingly, below this transition, with decreasing temperature, the value of M x increases till 3 K, which is in contrast to a pure SmFeO 3 . We ascribe this change of behavior to substitution of Sm ions for Tb ones. At temperatures below 100 K hysteresis curves possess a double-loop shape with two triangular loops emerging, which is explained by the single domain-wall state of the sample. The shape of hysteresis loop depends on the values of domain wall expulsion field H exp and the domain wall nucleation field H n .