Study into anomalies of magnetoelectric and magnetoelastic properties of GdFe3(BO3) 4 single crystals at phase transitions

Experimental and theoretical studies into transformations of different properties of gadolinium ferroborate single crystals at phase transitions both spontaneous and induced by strong magnetic fields up to 200 kOe have been carried out. The role of magnetoelectric interactions and their transformations at spin reorientational transitions accompanied by changes of the magnetic symmetry was of special interest. Following this approach the magnetoelastic and magnetoelectric properties of the system under consideration were studied for two magnetic field orientations I (parallel to)O and H(perpendicular)O in a wide temperature range, and the characteristic field dependencies of magnetostriction and electric polarization differed essentially. In the framework of the group-theoretical approach we propose a description of magnetic structures and their transformations. An interpretation of the experimentally revealed properties is also provided.