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Ferroelectric and Magnetic Domains in LuFe2O4 Observed by Scanning Probe Microscopy
Authors:
I. K. Yang,
J. Kim,
S. H. Lee,
S. B. Kim,
S. W. Cheong,
Y. H. Jeong
Abstract:
LuFe2O4 is a multiferroic system which exhibits ferroelectricity, charge order, and ferrimagnetic order simultaneously below ~230 K. The ferroelectric domains of LuFe2O4 are imaged with both piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), while the magnetic domains are characterized by magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Comparison of PFM and EFM results lead to a concl…
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LuFe2O4 is a multiferroic system which exhibits ferroelectricity, charge order, and ferrimagnetic order simultaneously below ~230 K. The ferroelectric domains of LuFe2O4 are imaged with both piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), while the magnetic domains are characterized by magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Comparison of PFM and EFM results lead to a conclusion that the ferroelectricity is of electronic origin as opposed to the usual displacive one. Simultaneous characterization of ferroelectric and magnetic domains by EFM and MFM, respectively, on the same surface of LuFe2O4 reveals that both domains have irregular patterns of similar shape, but the length scales are quite different. The domain size is approximately 100 nm for the ferroelectric domains while the magnetic domain size is much larger and gets as large as 1μm. We also demonstrate that the origin of the formation of irregular domains in LuFe2O4 is not extrinsic but intrinsic.
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Submitted 16 July, 2014;
originally announced July 2014.
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Color theorems, chiral domain topology and magnetic properties of FexTaS2
Authors:
Yoichi Horibe,
Junjie Yang,
Yong-Heum Cho,
Xuan Luo,
Sung Baek Kim,
Yoon Seok Oh,
Fei-Ting Huang,
Toshihiro Asada,
Makoto Tanimura,
Dalyoung Jeong,
Sang-Wook Cheong
Abstract:
Common mathematical theory can have profound applications in understanding real materials. The intrinsic connection between aperiodic orders observed in the Fibonacci sequence, Penrose tiling, and quasicrystals is a well-known example. Another example is the self-similarity in fractals and dendrites. From transmission electron microscopy experiments, we found that FexTaS2 crystals with x=1/4 and 1…
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Common mathematical theory can have profound applications in understanding real materials. The intrinsic connection between aperiodic orders observed in the Fibonacci sequence, Penrose tiling, and quasicrystals is a well-known example. Another example is the self-similarity in fractals and dendrites. From transmission electron microscopy experiments, we found that FexTaS2 crystals with x=1/4 and 1/3 exhibit complicated antiphase and chiral domain structures related to ordering of intercalated Fe ions with 2a*2a and sqrt3a*sqrt3a superstructures, respectively. These complex domain patterns are found to be deeply related with the four color theorem, stating that four colors are sufficient to identify the countries on a planar map with proper coloring, and its variations for two-step proper coloring. Furthermore, the domain topology is closely relevant to their magnetic properties. Our discovery unveils the importance of understanding the global topology of domain configurations in functional materials.
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Submitted 22 May, 2014;
originally announced May 2014.
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Effects of Structural Distortion Induced by Sc Substitution in LuFe$_2$O$_4$
Authors:
Jinwon Jeong,
Han-Jin Noh,
Sung Baek Kim
Abstract:
We have studied the correlation between the structural distortion and the electronic/magnetic properties in single-crystalline (Lu,Sc)Fe$_2$O$_4$ (Sc=0.05 and 0.3) by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetic susceptibility, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)/x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD)measurements. The Rietveld structure analysis of the XRD patterns revealed that the Sc substituti…
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We have studied the correlation between the structural distortion and the electronic/magnetic properties in single-crystalline (Lu,Sc)Fe$_2$O$_4$ (Sc=0.05 and 0.3) by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetic susceptibility, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)/x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD)measurements. The Rietveld structure analysis of the XRD patterns revealed that the Sc substitution induced an elongation of the FeO$_5$ bipyramidal cages in LuFe$_2$O$_4$ and increased the Fe$_2$O$_4$ bilayer thickness. A non-negligible decrease in the ferrimagnetic transition temperature T$_C$ is observed in the magnetic susceptibility curve of the Sc=0.3 sample, but the XAS/XMCD spectra do not show any difference except for a small reduction of dichroism signals at the Fe$^{3+}$ absorption edge. We interpret this suppression of T$_C$ to be the result of a decreased spin-orbit coupling effect in the Fe$^{2+}$ $e_{1g}$ doublet under $D_{3h}$ symmetry, which is induced by the weakened structural asymmetry of the FeO$_5$ bipyramids.
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Submitted 1 May, 2014; v1 submitted 7 February, 2014;
originally announced February 2014.
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Giant Magnetic Fluctuations at the Critical Endpoint in Insulating HoMnO3
Authors:
Y. J. Choi,
N. Lee,
P. A. Sharma,
S. B. Kim,
O. P. Vajk,
J. W. Lynn,
Y. S. Oh,
S-W. Cheong
Abstract:
Although abundant research has focused recently on the quantum criticality of itinerant magnets, critical phenomena of insulating magnets in the vicinity of critical endpoints (CEP's) have rarely been revealed. Here we observe an emergent CEP at 2.05 T and 2.2 K with a suppressed thermal conductivity and concomitant strong critical fluctuations evident via a divergent magnetic susceptibility (e.g.…
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Although abundant research has focused recently on the quantum criticality of itinerant magnets, critical phenomena of insulating magnets in the vicinity of critical endpoints (CEP's) have rarely been revealed. Here we observe an emergent CEP at 2.05 T and 2.2 K with a suppressed thermal conductivity and concomitant strong critical fluctuations evident via a divergent magnetic susceptibility (e.g., chi''(2.05 T, 2.2 K)/chi''(3 T, 2.2 K)=23,500 %, comparable to the critical opalescence in water) in the hexagonal insulating antiferromagnet HoMnO3.
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Submitted 17 April, 2013;
originally announced April 2013.
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Measurements and ab initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the High Temperature Ferroelectric Transition in Hexagonal RMnO3
Authors:
T. A. Tyson,
T. Wu,
H. Y. Chen,
J. Bai,
K. H. Ahn,
K. I. Pandya,
S. B. Kim,
S. -W. Cheong
Abstract:
Measurements of the structure of hexagonal RMnO3 (R=rare earths (Ho) and Y) for temperatures significantly above the ferroelectric transition temperature (TFE) were conducted to determine the nature of the transition. The local and long range structural measurements were complemented by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. With respect to the Mn sites in YMnO3 and HoMnO3, we find no large ato…
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Measurements of the structure of hexagonal RMnO3 (R=rare earths (Ho) and Y) for temperatures significantly above the ferroelectric transition temperature (TFE) were conducted to determine the nature of the transition. The local and long range structural measurements were complemented by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. With respect to the Mn sites in YMnO3 and HoMnO3, we find no large atomic (bond distances or thermal factors), electronic structure changes or rehybridization on crossing TFE from local structural methods. The local symmetry about the Mn sites is preserved. With respect to the local structure about the Ho sites, a reduction of the average Ho-O bond with increased temperature is found. Ab initio molecular dynamics calculations on HoMnO3 reveal the detailed motions of all ions. Above ~900 K there are large displacements of the Ho, O3 and O4 ions along the z-axis which reduce the buckling of the MnO3/O4 planes. The changes result in O3/O4 ions moving to towards central points between pairs of Ho ions on the z-axis. These structural changes make the coordination of Ho sites more symmetric thus extinguishing the electric polarization. At significantly higher temperatures, rotation of the MnO5 polyhedra occurs without a significant change in electric polarization. The born effective charge tensor is found to be highly anisotropic at the O sites but does not change appreciably at high temperatures.
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Submitted 8 October, 2011;
originally announced October 2011.
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High Pressure Structural Stability of Multiferroic Hexagonal REMnO3
Authors:
P. Gao,
Z. Chen,
T. A. Tyson,
T. Wu,
K. H. Ahn,
Z. Liu,
R. Tappero,
S. B. Kim,
S. -W. Cheong
Abstract:
Structural changes in REMnO3 (RE= Y, Ho, Lu) under high pressure were examined by synchrotron x-ray diffraction methods at room temperature. Compression occurs more readily in the ab plane than along the c-axis. Under hydrostatic pressure (~11 GPa), the atoms hold their approximate ambient fractional positions in the unit cell and the spontaneous polarization shows no significant change. With incr…
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Structural changes in REMnO3 (RE= Y, Ho, Lu) under high pressure were examined by synchrotron x-ray diffraction methods at room temperature. Compression occurs more readily in the ab plane than along the c-axis. Under hydrostatic pressure (~11 GPa), the atoms hold their approximate ambient fractional positions in the unit cell and the spontaneous polarization shows no significant change. With increased pressure, a pressure-induced hexagonal to orthorhombic phase transition was observed starting at ~ 22GPa for Lu(Y)MnO3. A small volume fraction of Lu(Y)MnO3 is converted to the orthorhombic phase when the pressure is increased to 35 GPa and the orthorhombic phase is maintained on pressure release. High pressure IR absorption spectroscopy and Mn K-edge near edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy confirm that the hexagonal P63cm structure is stable below ~20 GPa and the environment around Mn ion is not changed. Shifts in the unoccupied p-band density of states with pressure are observed in the Mn K-Edge spectra. A schematic pressure-temperature phase diagram is given for the small ion REMnO3 system.
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Submitted 3 May, 2011; v1 submitted 4 October, 2010;
originally announced October 2010.
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Giant Magnetoelectric Effect in a Multiferroic Material with a High Ferroelectric Transition Temperature
Authors:
N. Hur,
I. K. Jeong,
M. F. Hundley,
S. B. Kim,
S. -W. Cheong
Abstract:
We present a unique example of giant magnetoelectric effect in a conventional multiferroic HoMnO3, where polarization is very large (~56 mC/m2) and the ferroelectric transition temperature is higher than the magnetic ordering temperature by an order. We attribute the uniqueness of the giant magnetoelectric effect to the ferroelectricity induced entirely by the off-center displacement of rare ear…
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We present a unique example of giant magnetoelectric effect in a conventional multiferroic HoMnO3, where polarization is very large (~56 mC/m2) and the ferroelectric transition temperature is higher than the magnetic ordering temperature by an order. We attribute the uniqueness of the giant magnetoelectric effect to the ferroelectricity induced entirely by the off-center displacement of rare earth ions with large magnetic moments. This finding suggests a new avenue to design multiferroics with large polarization and higher ferroelectric transition temperature as well as large magnetoelectric effects.
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Submitted 21 May, 2008;
originally announced May 2008.
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Magnetic inversion symmetry breaking and ferroelectricity in TbMnO3
Authors:
M. Kenzelmann,
A. B. Harris,
S. Jonas,
C. Broholm,
J. Schefer,
S. B. Kim,
C. L. Zhang,
S. -W. Cheong,
O. P. Vajk,
J. W. Lynn
Abstract:
TbMnO3 is an orthorhombic insulator where incommensurate spin order for temperature T_N < 41K is accompanied by ferroelectric order for T < 28K. To understand this, we establish the magnetic structure above and below the ferroelectric transition using neutron diffraction. In the paraelectric phase, the spin structure is incommensurate and longitudinally-modulated. In the ferroelectric phase, how…
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TbMnO3 is an orthorhombic insulator where incommensurate spin order for temperature T_N < 41K is accompanied by ferroelectric order for T < 28K. To understand this, we establish the magnetic structure above and below the ferroelectric transition using neutron diffraction. In the paraelectric phase, the spin structure is incommensurate and longitudinally-modulated. In the ferroelectric phase, however, there is a transverse incommensurate spiral. We show that the spiral breaks spatial inversion symmetry and can account for magnetoelectricity in TbMnO3.
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Submitted 23 June, 2005; v1 submitted 8 June, 2005;
originally announced June 2005.
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Magnetic Order and Spin Dynamics in Ferroelectric HoMnO$_{3}$
Authors:
O. P. Vajk,
M. Kenzelmann,
J. W. Lynn,
S. B. Kim,
S. -W. Cheong
Abstract:
Hexagonal HoMnO$_{3}$ is a frustrated antiferromagnet (T$_{N}$=72 K) ferroelectric (T$_{C}$=875 K) in which these two order parameters are coupled. Our neutron measurements of the spin wave dispersion for the S=2 Mn$^{3+}$ on the layered triangular lattice are well described by a two-dimensional nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange J=2.44 meV, and an anisotropy $D$ that is 0.093 meV above the sp…
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Hexagonal HoMnO$_{3}$ is a frustrated antiferromagnet (T$_{N}$=72 K) ferroelectric (T$_{C}$=875 K) in which these two order parameters are coupled. Our neutron measurements of the spin wave dispersion for the S=2 Mn$^{3+}$ on the layered triangular lattice are well described by a two-dimensional nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange J=2.44 meV, and an anisotropy $D$ that is 0.093 meV above the spin reorientation transition at 40 K, and 0.126 meV below. For $H\parallel c$ the magnetic structures and phase diagram have been determined, and reveal additional transitions below 8 K where the ferroelectrically displaced Ho$^{3+}$ ions are ordered magnetically.
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Submitted 31 January, 2005;
originally announced February 2005.