Spin reversal, magnetic domains and relaxation mechanisms in Er(Co,Mn)O3 perovskites

Substitution of Mn by a divalent metal in rare-earth manganites REMexMn1 − xO3 results in the simultaneous presence of Mn3+ and Mn4+. The RE sublattice interacts with the local field imposed by the Mn network and may orientate in a parallel direction, or align in the opposite direction resulting in an uncompensated antiferromagnetic structure. We present the magnetic properties of ErCoxMn1 − xO3, in which manganese is substituted by cobalt. Coexistence of different interactions leads to unusual phenomena: a spin reversal, a step-like transition due to a reorientation of domains, a relaxation mechanism connected to the rotation energy of domains, the intersection of increasing and decreasing branches in the magnetization loops.