Field-induced magnetic transition in CrCo3

The action of a magnetic field on a single crystal of the compound ErCo₃ has been investigated by both magnetization and neutron diffraction measurements. ErCo₃ is ferrimagnetic with an easy magnetization axis parallel to the c axis of the crystal. When the field is applied perpendicular to the c axis a transition occurs: the moment of one of the two Er sites remains nearly oriented along the c axis while this of the other Er site rotates through an angle of 55°. From the value of the threshold field, the difference between the anisotropy energies of the two sites has been evaluated.