Crystal structure and magnetization reversal in single-layered Ruddlesden-Popper CaEuFeO4 ceramics

Magnetization reversal widely exists in ferrimagnets, which provides an opportunity to develop novel lowpower-consumption memory in the future. In the present work, dense CaEuFeO4 ceramics with the singlelayered Ruddlesden-Popper structure were prepared by a standard solid-state reaction process. The orthorhombic phase was determined to have the space group Bmab at room temperature. The antiferromagnetic state was observed below the Ne ' el temperature of 338 K, and temperature-induced magnetization reversal was observed below the compensation temperature in the field cooling protocol. Moreover, field-induced magnetization reversal or bipolar magnetic switching between different fields was also observed at low temperatures. The intriguing temperature- and field-induced magnetization reversal is induced by the competition between the canted Fe3+ moment and the antiparallel Eu3+ moment induced by the Eu-Fe exchange interaction.