Abstract
First-principles methods are employed to understand the existence of magnetic-domain-wall-induced electric polarization observed in rare-earth iron garnets. In contrast with previous beliefs, it is found that the occurrence of such polarization neither requires the local magnetic moments of the rare-earth ions nor noncollinear magnetism. It can rather be understood as originating from a magnetoelectric effect arising from ferromagnetic interactions between octahedral and tetrahedral Fe ions at the domain walls, and the mechanism behind is found to be a symmetric exchange-striction mechanism.
- Received 5 March 2020
- Accepted 14 July 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.067602
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