Implications of Fe substitution on structure and magnetism in CoCr2O4

Structure and magnetism of CoCr2 - xFexO4 (x = 0, 1 and 2) samples have been studied using room temperature X-ray and neutron diffraction; temperature and magnetic field dependent magnetization measurements. With increasing Fe content, it is observed that the magnetic ordering temperature increases while the nature of magnetic ordering undergoes drastic changes. The highlight of the work is that the equiatomic composition CoFeCrO4 (i.e., for x = 1 sample) exhibits lowest coercivity thus making it attractive for device applications. The present study shows control of magnetic properties through substitution, making it possible to prepare materials suitable for desired applications.