Influence of spin–phonon interactions and spin-reorientation transitions on the phonon properties of RCrO3

Using a microscopic model and a Green’s function technique we calculate the renormalized phonon energy in multiferroic RCrO3 (R = Sm, Dy, Er, Pr, Gd and Y) compounds as a function of temperature, magnetic field and R-ionic radius. We explain the observed anomalies in the temperature dependence of the phonon spectra based on a detailed analysis of the influence of the magnetic sublattices, the interaction between them and the spin-reorientation (SR) transition on lattice vibrations via spin–phonon interactions. When the rare earth ions are magnetic we investigate their essential role for the anomalies around the SR temperature. For the case when R is nonmagnetic, for example YCrO3, we propose a new microscopic model. We define an induced Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (IDM) vector as a consequence from the spontaneous polarization. This IDM interaction is responsible for the appearance of a temperature-driven SR transition, which itself is responsible for the phonon anomalies at low temperatures. The numerical calculations are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental data.