Emergent multiferroism with magnetodielectric coupling in EuTiO<sub>3</sub> created by a negative pressure control of strong spin-phonon coupling.

Zhao, Run; Yang, Chao; Wang, Hongguang; Jiang, Kai; Wu, Hua; Shen, Shipeng; Wang, Le; Sun, Young et al. · Nat Commun · 2022

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Negative pressure has emerged as a powerful tool to tailor the physical properties of functional materials. However, a negative pressure control of spin-phonon coupling for engineering magnetism and multiferroicity has not been explored to date. Here, using uniform three-dimensional strain-induced negative pressure in nanocomposite films of (EuTiO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>0.5</sub>:(MgO)<sub>0.5</sub>, we demonstrate an emergent multiferroicity with magnetodielectric coupling in EuTiO<sub>3</sub>, matching exactly with density functional theory calculations. Density functional theory calculations are further used to explore the underlying physics of antiferromagnetic-paraelectric to ferromagnetic-ferroelectric phase transitions, the spin-phonon coupling, and its correlation with negative pressures. The observation of magnetodielectric coupling in the EuTiO<sub>3</sub> reveals that an enhanced spin-phonon coupling originates from a negative pressure induced by uniform three-dimensional strain. Our work provides a route to creating multiferroicity and magnetoelectric coupling in single-phase oxides using a negative pressure approach.