The spin-reorientation transition of intermetallic compound DyMn6Sn6 was investigated by applying the molecular field theory. The temperature dependence of easy magnetization direction of compound and the magnetic moment directions of Dy and Mn ions were theoretically calculated and they have good agreement with the experimental data. In the framework of single ion model, the temperature dependence of magnetocrystalline anisotropic constants K1R and K2R of Dy ion were also calculated. The results show that the fourth-order crystal field parameter, B 40, and the corresponding second-order magnetocrystalline anisotropic constant, K2R, of Dy ion must be taken into account in order to explain the spin-reorientation transition satisfactorily. The competition between K2R and K1R plays a key role in the spin-reorientation transition of DyMn6Sn6.
