Single crystal growth, magnetic properties and Schottky anomaly of HoFeO3 orthoferrite

The HoFeO₃ single crystal was successfully grown by the floating zone technique using a four-mirror-image-furnace under flowing air. Magnetic properties of HoFeO₃ single crystal were studied over a wide temperature range. Magnetic measurements under different magnetic fields found that the spin reorientation transition in the crystal is well described by the earlier proposed theory with no fitting parameters. Specific heat of HoFeO₃ single crystal was measured from 2 to 300 K under zero magnetic field. Schottky anomaly appeared between 2 and 5 K due to the Ho³⁺ spin ordering, and the anomaly of specific heat due to Fe³⁺ spin reorientation between 50 and 58 K was observed.