IFIMUP—Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics, Departamento de Física e Astronomia da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Pedro R. Rodrigues
IFIMUP—Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics, Departamento de Física e Astronomia da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
João G. Correia
C2TN—Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Bobadela, 2695-066 Boticas, Portugal
João P. E. Araújo
IFIMUP—Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics, Departamento de Física e Astronomia da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Armandina M. L. Lopes
IFIMUP—Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics, Departamento de Física e Astronomia da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Local distortions in perovskite-like orthochromites are of extreme importance for the properties they exhibit. Here, we present the results of structural and DC magnetisation measurements combined with local probe studies in polycrystalline ErCrO3. The electric field gradient (EFG) parameters’ evolution with temperature shows two clear signals of local environment changes, one at the ferroelectric phase transition (TFE) and the other below 250 K. At the claimed TFE, the EFG changed from a slightly distorted axial symmetric to an EFG with axial symmetry (evidence that the local point-symmetry of the crystal might have changed). At a temperature around 250 K, we observed the development of a magnetic hyperfine field (MHF) and a change in the EFG to an axial slightly distorted one. These observations are rather in line with our magnetisation measurements, as a relatively strong coercive field was observed well above the Cr sub-lattice ordering temperature.
