Temperature- and magnetic-field-induced magnetization reversal in perovskite YFe0.5Cr0.5O3

Perovskite YFe0.5Cr0.5O3 exhibits magnetization reversal at low applied fields due to the competition between the single ion magnetic anisotropy and the antisymmetric Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction. Below a compensation temperature Tcomp, a tunable bipolar switching of magnetization is demonstrated by changing the magnitude of the field while keeping it in the same direction. The present compound also displays both normal and inverse magnetocaloric effects above and below 260 K, respectively. These phenomena coexisting in a single magnetic system can be tuned in a predictable manner and have potential applications in electromagnetic devices.