Rare-earth orthoferrites and orthochromites (RFeO3 and RCrO3) attract enormous research attention due to their intriguing physics coupled with numerous interesting physical properties such as multiferroicity, spin-reorientation, spin-phonon coupling, magneto-optic coupling, negative magnetization and giant anisotropic magnetocaloric effect. The critical issue with the application potential of these materials is that RFeO3 generally possesses above-room-temperature magnetic ordering; on the other hand, RCrO3 has a low ordering temperature. In this regard, it is imperative to tune the magnetic ordering temperatures to room temperature in these materials to explore the maximum functionality. In the present work, the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature (TN) and spin reorientation temperature (TSR) are tuned to near room temperature in Cr-doped SmFeO3. Furthermore, room temperature spin-phonon coupling is observed in the SmFe0.6Cr0.4O3 sample. Notably, our studies on the Fe-doped SmCrO3 system reveals interesting phenomena like giant exchange bias, negative magnetization and bipolar spin switching. Additionally, SmFe0.6Cr0.4O3 epitaxial films are fabricated by PLD technique to explore its application potential. Interestingly, the thin film sample exhibits ferroelectric-like characteristics which is absent in bulk. The observed properties illustrate the samples' spin-switching and memory device application potentials.
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