Low-temperature neutron diffraction study of the crystal and magnetic phase transitions in DyCrO4

Abstract The crystal and magnetic structures of DyCrO 4 were studied using neutron powder diffraction. Complete diffraction data at 3.6, 17, 27, and 40 K show that a crystal structural phase transition from tetragonal I4 1 / amd to orthorhombic Imma symmetry is found to take place between 27 and 40 K. This transition does not involve a significant change in the unit cell volume. Strong ferromagnetic reflections are observed at 3.6 and 17 K, and can be fit well using the magnetic model of space group Im'ma' , with the moments of both Dy 3+ and Cr 5+ ions aligning along the y -axis. Detailed temperature dependent magnetic intensities of 101/011 and 211/121 peaks reveal a Curie temperature of T c =22.35(15) K.