Abstract
We modulate the spin chirality and the magnetization in CuCrO2, by doping at Cr3 þ sites with magnetic ions of slightly different size. Structure and magnetic properties of delafossite oxide CuCr1ﰄxCoxO2 (0 r x r 0.06) have been investigated. With the substitution of magnetic Co3 þ for Cr3 þ (S 1⁄4 3/2), the antiferromagnetic (AF) transition becomes broader and the transition temperature increases. However, at low temperature, the magnetic data for CuCr1ﰄxCoxO2 shows evidence for weak ferromagnetism. Comparing the substitution effect of Co3 þ to those of other magnetic metal transition, magnetization around the AF transition does not seem to correlate with randomness and lattice parameter.