Single-crystal growth and magnetic properties of the metallic molybdate pyrochlore Sm2Mo2O7

摘要

We have successfully grown cm3-size single crystals of themetallic-ferromagnet Sm2Mo2O7 by the floating-zone method using an infrared-redimage furnace. The growth difficulties and the remedies found using a 2-mirrorimage furnace are discussed. Magnetization studies along the three crystallineaxes of the compound are presented and discussed based on our recent proposalof an ordered spin-ice ground state for this compound