Abstract
From our investigation of magnetoelectric properties of a multiferroic phase in competing with a weak-ferromagnetic phase in magnetic fields, we found intriguing hysteretic behaviors of physical properties with variation of temperature and magnetic field. These hysteretic behaviors arise from the kinetic arrest (dearrest) processes of the first-order multiferroic-weak-ferromagnetic transition, resulting in frozen (melted) magnetoelectric glass states with coexisting two phases. Tipping the delicate balance of two competing phases by applying electric and magnetic fields leads to a remarkable control of magnetization and electric polarization.
- Received 19 January 2010
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.097201
© 2010 The American Physical Society
Viewpoint
Towards colossal magnetoelectricity?
Published 23 August 2010
Experiments show that it may be possible to achieve control of magnetization by an external electric field in a material by altering the balance between competing physical processes.
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