Peculiarities of incommensurate–commensurate phase transitions in multiferroics

Abstract

Characteristic features of magnetic field-induced phase transitions incommensurate–commensurate (IC–C) phase in multiferroics are considered. An example of such substances is the ferroelectromagnet bismuth ferrite BiFeO 3. It was shown that the interaction between electric and magnetic subsystems can result in electric field induced shift of critical value for the magnetic field, at which the phase transition from spatially modulated to the homogenous antiferromagnetic state takes place. This change has value 0.5 T in the electric field 50 kV/cm. Phase diagrams in the magnetic field–electric field coordinates are plotted.