Magnetic, heat capacity, and conductivity studies of ferrimagnetic MnCr2S4 single crystals -: art. no. 134434

Magnetization, ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), heat capacity, and electrical conductivity of MnCr2S4 spinel single crystals were investigated as a function of temperature and magnetic field. Two lambda anomalies observed in the heat capacity correlate with magnetic phase transformations and their field dependence found in magnetization measurements. The upper lambda anomaly at a temperature of similar to65 K marks the onset of ferrimagnetic ordering, while the lower one at similar to4.8 K indicates an additional antiferromagnetic ordering of the A(Mn) sublattice. Below the Curie temperature, magnetization, and FMR measurements revealed a positive magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The dominating role of the B(Cr) sublattice in generating this anisotropy is shown.