Phase transitions and exchange interactions in the SmCr3(BO3)4 crystal

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences.Spectroscopic investigation and specific heat and magnetic susceptibility measurements of SmCr3(BO3)4 crystals were performed. The spectra of the Sm3+ and Cr3+ ions in samarium chromium borate were calculated and parameters of the exchange interactions between the nearest chromium ions, chromium and samarium ions were determined. Three phase transitions were observed at the temperatures T1= 7.8 ± 0.5 ?, T2 = 6.7 ± 0.5 ?, and T3 = 4.3 ± 0.2 ?, their nature is discussed. The crystal structures with different space symmetry groups R32 and C2/c were found to coexist in SmCr3(BO3)4 single crystal