Effect of rare earth magnetism on dielectric and magnetic properties of HoMn_1-xCr_xO₃

The effect of doping Cr on the structural, magnetic and dielectric properties has been investigated in a series of polycrystalline compounds HoMn_1-xCr_xO₃(0≤x≤1). Evolution of crystallographic and magnetic structures is observed in this series. Rare earth induced change in the magnetic structure from Γ₄ to Γ₂, is observed in x>O.5. For x<0.125 both hexagonal and orthorhombic phases coexist but hexagonal phase becomes more stable with decreasing x. Hexagonal phase exhibits magnetic ordering at 55K and a spin reorientation at 15K. Incommensurate magnetic order corresponding to the wave vector (0.4,0,0) for the orthorhombic phase has been observed for the 0.05 sample. Dielectric data shows weak magnetodielectric coupling for these compounds. (author)