Temperature-induced magnetization reversal in BiFe0.5Mn0.5O3 synthesized at high pressure

BiFe0.5Mn0.5O3 could be stabilized in the perovskite structure by preparing it under high pressure and temperature. It has an orthorhombic structure with a possible ordered arrangement of Fe and Mn double rows and shows a magnetic ordering at high temperature (270 K). Low-temperature isothermal-magnetization measurements indicate the ground state to be antiferromagnetic with a spin canting. Surprisingly, it exhibits magnetization reversal at low applied fields below a compensation temperature, T*. Below T*, the sign of the magnetization can be switched between negative and positive value reversibly by increasing and decreasing the field. Magnetization reversal in this oxide seems to result from a competition between single-ion magnetocrystalline anisotropy and antisymmetric Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions.