Study of magnetoelectric coupling effect in the hexagonal ferroelectromagnet

Abstract

Soft-mode theory based on Diffour model for ferroelectric subsystem, and mean-field theory as well as Heisenberg model for antiferromagnetic subsystem are utilized to investigate the magnetoelectric coupling effect in a hexagonal ferroelectromagnet, in which the ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic orders spontaneously coexist below a certain temperature. An anomaly of polarization at the magnetic transition temperature is ascribed to the effect of magnetoelectric coupling. The magnetic excitation has also been studied by spin-wave theory over the three-sublattice model. It is demonstrated that role of magnetoelectric coupling effect is not only related with the strength of magnetoelectric coupling but also special spin lattice structure. Our results show the magnetic specific heat induced by magnetic excitation experiences a suppression by the magnetoelectric coupling.