Interplay of Fe and Nd magnetism in NdFeAsO single crystals

The structural and magnetic phase transitions have been studied on NdFeAsO single crystals by neutron and x-ray diffraction complemented by resistivity and specific-heat measurements. Two low-temperature phase transitions have been observed in addition to the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transition at TS ∼142K and the onset of antiferromagnetic (AFM) Fe order below TN ∼137K. The Fe moments order AFM in the well-known stripelike structure in the (ab) plane but change from AFM to ferromagnetic (FM) arrangement along the c direction below T^- ∼15K accompanied by the onset of Nd AFM order below TNd ∼6K with this same AFM configuration. The iron magnetic order-order transition in NdFeAsO accentuates the Nd-Fe interaction and the delicate balance of c -axis exchange couplings that results in AFM in LaFeAsO and FM in CeFeAsO and PrFeAsO.