Abstract
Strain is a leading candidate for controlling magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroics. Here, we use x-ray diffraction to study the coupling between magnetic order and structural distortion in epitaxial films of the orthorhombic (-) perovskite . An antiferromagnetic spin canting in the -type magnetic structure is shown to be related to the ferroelectrically induced structural distortion and to a change in the magnetic propagation vector. By comparing films of different orientations and thicknesses, these quantities are found to be controlled by -axis strain. It is shown that compressive strain destabilizes the commensurate -type structure and reduces its accompanying ferroelectric distortion.
- Received 23 January 2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.167202
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