Abstract
We present the preparation and characterization of an Er2Zr2O7 single crystal. The material was studied by means of x-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetization, AC susceptibility, and specific heat measurements.
The defect-fluorite type of cubic structure, previously reported as the crystal structure of Er2Zr2O7, is consistent with our x-ray powder diffraction data. The measurements of physical properties were performed in magnetic field applied along principal crystallographic directions.
A negligible directional dependence of physical properties is observed at temperatures down to 3 K, and only minor differences can be traced at lower temperatures. A low-temperature anomaly in magnetization and specific heat data and its evolution with applied magnetic field is followed.
A frequency-dependent shift of freezing temperature was observed in AC susceptibility. Several origins of the observed anomaly are discussed, leaving a spin-glass state as the most probable explanation.