Remarkable magnetoelectric effect in single crystals of honeycomb magnet Mn 4 Nb 2 O 9
Cite as: Appl. Phys. Lett.117, 072903 (2020);doi: 10.1063/5.0021623 Submitted: 17 July 2020
.
Accepted: 4 August 2020.
Published Online: 18 August 2020
S. H.Zheng,1 G. Z.Zhou,1X.Li,2M. F.Liu,2 Y. S.Tang,1Y. L.Xie,2M.Zeng,3 L.Lin,1Z. B.Yan,1,a) X. K.Huang,4 X. P.Jiang,4and J.-M.Liu1,3
AFFILIATIONS
1Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
2Institute for Advanced Materials, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 435100, China
3Institute for Advanced Materials, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
4School of Materials Science, Jingdezhen University of Ceramics, Jingdezhen 333403, China
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:zbyan@nju.edu.cn
ABSTRACT
Linear magnetoelectrics refer to those compounds in which ferroelectric (FE) polarization can be generated by applying the magnetic field.
This scenario opens an additional avenue toward high temperature magnetoelectric (ME) coupling that is achievable in a large class of rela tively weak frustrated magnetic systems such as honeycomb antiferromagnets. It is, thus, urgent to unveil the physics underlying the linear ME coupling in these linear ME materials. We grow the single crystals of Mn4Nb2O9, a linear ME candidate with high magnetic ordering temperature, and carry out a set of structural, magnetic, and ME characterizations. An antiferromagnetic ordering with [001] oriented moments at the Neel pointTN¼109 K is identified together with magnetic field driven large electric polarization emerging atTN, due to the strong exchange striction dependent mechanism. The measured ME coupling tensorafits well the magnetic symmetry 30m0, consistent with the linear ME scenario. Furthermore, remarkable responses of FE polarization and magnetization to the magnetic field and electric field, respectively, are demonstrated.
Published under license by AIP Publishing.https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0021623
The magnetoelectric (ME) effect, which allows the control of magnetization (M) and/or ferroelectric (FE) polarization (P) by the electric field (E) and magnetic field (H), respectively, is one of the most attractive topics in condensed matter and materials science.1–3 The rapid progress along this line has been witnessed in the past two decades. While some promising ME compounds have been synthe sized since then, the underlying physics has been investigated too.4–6It is now known that most of the ME systems are those multiferroic materials. They can be classified into two categories:7type I multifer roics and type II ones, depending on their ME performance and associated mechanisms.
For those type I multiferroics, both non zeroMandPcan coex ist, while the ME coupling between them is usually weak, suggesting that these materials may not be sufficiently good ME materials.8,9 Distinctly different from this category, type II multiferroics are those magnetic insulators with specific spin orders arising from high spin frustration. The electric polarization is generated via the spin orbit coupling and spin lattice coupling and, thus, the ME effect is naturally strong. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that these highly frustrated
specific spin orders (such as noncollinear spiral order and collinear up up down down order) may not be possibly developed unless suf ficiently low temperature is accessed, i.e., very low Neel temperature TN.10–13The electric polarization and, thus, the ME effect at such low temperature are non favored for application consideration. Moreover, these confirmed mechanisms for type II multiferroics are the second order effects and usually weak, leading to the small FE polarization and weak ME response, in particular, extremely weak electro control of magnetism. Given these drawbacks, e.g., the low temperature, small FE polarization, and weak electro control of magnetism if any, these type II multiferroics may not be promising candidates for high temperature ME effects. This means that one has to search for an alter native strategy.
A natural but much less explored conceptual scenario is related to those magnetic insulators whose ground state is non polar and, thus, no FE polarization emerges spontaneously. However, these insu lators may offer a polar, ferroelectricity active and low energy excited state, which can be readily excited by applying a magnetic field. Those linear ME materials belong to this class of materials, and a weak
Appl. Phys. Lett.117, 072903 (2020); doi: 10.1063/5.0021623 117, 072903 1
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