Magnetic properties of Co2V2O7 single crystals grown by flux method

Based on the phase diagram of CoO-V2O5 system, single crystals of Co2V2O7 are grown using V2O5 as self-flux at a slow cooling rate. The quality of grown crystals is analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction and electron probe microanalysis techniques. Magnetic properties are investigated by means of susceptibility, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements. Our experimental results suggest that Co2V2O7 is a three-dimensional antiferromagnet, in which two magnetic transitions may occur at low temperature and a spin-flop-like transition may occur at the applied field along the b-axis. By contrast to Ni2V2O7, it is suggested that similar and different magnetic properties may arise from their similar crystal structures and different magnetic ions, respectively. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.