Abstract
Multiferroics materials, which exhibit coupled magnetic and ferroelectric properties, have attracted tremendous research interest because of their potential in constructing next-generation multifunctional devices. The application of single-phase multiferroics is currently limited by their usually small magnetoelectric effects. Here, we report the realization of giant magnetoelectric effects in a Y-type hexaferrite Ba0.4Sr1.6Mg2Fe12O22 single crystal, which exhibits record-breaking direct and converse magnetoelectric coefficients and a large electric-field-reversed magnetization. We have uncovered the origin of the giant magnetoelectric effects by a systematic study in the Ba2-xSrxMg2Fe12O22 family with magnetization, ferroelectricity and neutron diffraction measurements. With the transverse spin cone symmetry restricted to be two-fold, the one-step sharp magnetization reversal is realized and giant magnetoelectric coefficients are achieved. Our study reveals that tuning magnetic symmetry is an effective route to enhance the magnetoelectric effects also in multiferroic hexaferrites.
Highlights
Multiferroics materials, which exhibit coupled magnetic and ferroelectric properties, have attracted tremendous research interest because of their potential in constructing next-generation multifunctional devices
Spin-driven multiferroics in which the P is produced via the inverse Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) interaction[11], spin current model[12], or exchange striction mechanism[13] with noncollinear or collinear magnetic structures, could yield large ME effects because their FE and magnetic orders are directly correlated
The cone opening angle φ2/2 or the turn angle φ2 between adjacent in-plane L moments is estimated from the ratio of the magnetization at high-saturation field and the low field transverse cone (TC) phase. φ2 increases significantly with increasing Sr doping and has a similar value with that of φ0 at each doping
Summary
Multiferroics materials, which exhibit coupled magnetic and ferroelectric properties, have attracted tremendous research interest because of their potential in constructing next-generation multifunctional devices. The application of single-phase multiferroics is currently limited by their usually small magnetoelectric effects. We report the realization of giant magnetoelectric effects in a Y-type hexaferrite Ba0.4Sr1.6Mg2Fe12O22 single crystal, which exhibits record-breaking direct and converse magnetoelectric coefficients and a large electric-field-reversed magnetization. Multiferroics with coexisting ferroelectric (FE) and magnetic orders can realize magnetoelectric (ME) effects due to the cross-coupling between two orders[1,2,3]. Spin-driven multiferroics in which the P is produced via the inverse Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) interaction[11], spin current model (the KNB model)[12], or exchange striction mechanism[13] with noncollinear or collinear magnetic structures, could yield large ME effects because their FE and magnetic orders are directly correlated. The hexaferrites with tunable conical magnetic structures are among the most promising multiferroics for realizing large ME effects at low magnetic fields.
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