Giant magnetoelectric effects achieved by tuning spin cone symmetry in Y-type hexaferrites.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28900107.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-017-00637-x and PMC identifier 5595903.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
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 Ba<sub>0.4</sub>Sr<sub>1.6</sub>Mg<sub>2</sub>Fe<sub>12</sub>O<sub>22</sub> 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 Ba<sub>2-x</sub> Sr <sub>x</sub> Mg<sub>2</sub>Fe<sub>12</sub>O<sub>22</sub> 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.Control of the electrical properties of materials by means of magnetic fields or vice versa may facilitate next-generation spintronic devices, but is still limited by their intrinsically weak magnetoelectric effect. Here, the authors report the existence of an enhanced magnetoelectric effect in a Y-type hexaferrite, and reveal its underlining mechanism.