Coupled Magnetic and Ferroelectric Domains in Multiferroic Ni3V2O8

Abstract

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.