Abstract
How magnetoelectric coupling actually occurs on a microscopic level in multiferroic BiFeO is not well known. By using high-resolution single crystal neutron diffraction techniques, we have determined the electric polarization of each individual element of BiFeO, and concluded that magnetostrictive coupling suppresses the electric polarization at the Fe site below . This negative magnetoelectric coupling appears to outweigh the spin current contributions arising from the cycloid spin structure, which should produce positive magnetoelectric coupling.
- Received 1 June 2013
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.88.060103
©2013 American Physical Society
Viewpoint
Subtle Atomic Shifts
Published 21 August 2013
Neutron diffraction experiments identify the way magnetic structure affects the electrical properties of an important multiferroic material.
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