Helical bunching and symmetry lowering inducing multiferroicity in Fe langasites

L. Chaix, R. Ballou, A. Cano, S. Petit, S. de Brion, J. Ollivier, L.-P. Regnault, E. Ressouche, E. Constable, C. V. Colin, A. Zorko, V. Scagnoli, J. Balay, P. Lejay, and V. Simonet
Phys. Rev. B 93, 214419 – Published 16 June 2016
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    Abstract

    The chiral Fe-based langasites represent model systems of triangle-based frustrated magnets with a strong potential for multiferroicity. We report neutron-scattering measurements for the multichiral Ba3MFe3Si2O14 (M=Nb,Ta) langasites revealing new important features of the magnetic order of these systems: the bunching of the helical modulation along the c axis and the in-plane distortion of the 120∘ Fe-spin arrangement. We discuss these subtle features in terms of the microscopic spin Hamiltonian and provide the link to the magnetically induced electric polarization observed in these systems. Thus, our findings put the multiferroicity of this attractive family of materials on solid ground.

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    • Received 10 June 2015
    • Revised 25 May 2016

    DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.214419

    ©2016 American Physical Society

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    1. Physical Systems
    Hamiltonian systemsMultiferroics
    1. Techniques
    Neutron scattering
    Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

    Authors & Affiliations

    L. Chaix1,2,3,4, R. Ballou2,3, A. Cano5, S. Petit6, S. de Brion2,3, J. Ollivier1, L.-P. Regnault3,7, E. Ressouche3,7, E. Constable2,3, C. V. Colin2,3, A. Zorko8, V. Scagnoli9,10, J. Balay2,3, P. Lejay2,3, and V. Simonet2,3

    • 1Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble, France
    • 2Institut Néel, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 38042 Grenoble, France
    • 3Université Grenoble Alpes, 38042 Grenoble, France
    • 4Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
    • 5Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac, France
    • 6Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Centre de Saclay/DSM/IRAMIS/Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
    • 7MEM-MDN, INAC, 38054 Grenoble, France
    • 8Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova c. 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
    • 9Laboratory for Mesoscopic Systems, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
    • 10Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland

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    Issue

    Vol. 93, Iss. 21 — 1 June 2016

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