Coupled Magnetic and Ferroelectric Domains in Multiferroic Ni3V2O8
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Date
2009-08-21Author
Chen, W. C.
Kenzelmann, M.
Gentile, T. R.
Chen, Y.
Cabrera, I.
Rogado, N.
Lawes, G.
Broholm, C.
Lynn, J. W.
Erwin, R.
Cava, R.J.
Leao, J. B.
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Show full item recordAbstract
Electric control of multi-ferroic domains is demonstrated through polarized magnetic neutron diffraction. Cooling to the cycloidal multi-ferroic phase of Ni3V2O8 in an electric field E causes the incommensurate Bragg reflections to become neutron spin polarizing, the sense of neutron polarization reversing with E. Quantitative analysis indicates the E-treated sample has a handedness that can be reversed by E. We further show a close association between cycloidal and ferroelectric domains through E-driven spin and electric polarization hysteresis. We suggest that a definite cycloidal handedness is achieved through magneto-elastically induced Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions.