Temperature dependence of field-induced spin reorientation in GdFeO₃

Field-induced spin reorientation in single crystals of the canted antiferromagnet GdFeO3 has been observed using the Mossbauer effect with a magnetic field applied along the antiferromagnetic axis. Spin reorientation occurred continuously with increasing field. At sample temperatures of 4.2K and 2K complete reorientation was observed at critical fields of 1.2 T and 0.7 T respectively. At temperatures of 293K and 77K extrapolation gave complete reorientation at critical fields of 7.6 T and 8.1 T. The temperature dependence of the critical field is explained in terms of the interaction between iron and gadolinium ions.