Magneto-thermal conduction and magneto-caloric effect in poly and nano crystalline forms of multiferroic GdCrO3

Gadolinium chromite, GdCrO3, belongs to the family of rare earth chromites, exhibiting multiferroism with coupling between electric polarization and magnetic ordering. It is understood that the interaction between Gd3+ and Cr3+ ions is responsible for switchable polarization in this system. Below Neel temperature the spins of Cr3+ ions interact in anti-parallel through super exchange mechanism, giving rise to antiferromagnetic ordering at around 169 K in poly and nanocrystalline phases of this material. In order to understand the nature of spin-lattice coupling and magnon-phonon interaction in the intermediate temperature range (150-250 K), the magneto-thermal conduction and magneto-caloric effect in poly and nanocrystalline forms of this material are reported. These properties show anomalies around 169 K, which is described as due to spin-phonon coupling. When particle sizes are reduced to nanometer scales, thermal conductivity decreases significantly while specific heat capacity increases. The former is explained as due to reduction in phonon mean free path and phonon scattering from nanoparticle interfaces, while the latter is ascribed to contributions from Einstein oscillators at weakly bound atoms at the interfaces of nanocrystals.