Crystal growth, spin reorientation and magnetic anisotropy of YFe0.8Mn0.2O3 single crystal

High quality YFe0.8Mn0.2O3 single crystal of about 45 mm in length and 5 mm in diameter was successfully grown by optical floating zone method. Both powder X-ray diffraction and Laue photograph confirmed the homogeneity and high quality of the sample. The magnetic properties of the specimen are studied under ZFC and FC modes over a wide temperature range from 5 to 400 K by an external applied field of 100 Oe. Spin reorientation (SR) transition from Γ4 to Γ1 phase is observed in the temperature range from T1=243 K to T2=236 K, due to the partial substitution of Mn at Fe site. The optical properties of the sample were investigated by the transmittance spectra in the wavelength range of λ=1000-3000 nm, which also clearly show the strong anisotropy along the a-, b- and c-axis, respectively.