Magnetic switching and phase competition in the multiferroic antiferromagnet $$\rm Mn_{1-x}Fe_xWO_4$$

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Physical Review Letters

OSTI ID:1001709

Ye, Feng ^[1]; Ren, Y. ^[2]; Fernandez-Baca, Jaime A ^[1]; Mook, Jr, Herbert A ^[1]; Lynn, J. W. ^[3]; Chaudhury, R. P. ^[4]; Wang, Y. -Q. ^[4]; Lorenz, Bernd ^[1]; Chu, C. W. ^[4]

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1. ORNL
2. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
4. University of Houston, Houston

Elastic neutron scattering is used to study the spin correlations in the multiferroic antiferromagnet $$\rm Mn_{1-x}Fe_{x}WO_4$$ with $x=0.035, 0.05$ and $0.10$. The noncollinear, incommensurate (ICM) magnetic structure associated with the ferroelectric (FE) phase in pure $$\rm MnWO_4$$ is suppressed at $x=0.035$ and completely absent at $x=0.10$. The ICM spin order and FE phase can be restored by applying a magnetic field along the spin easy-axis. The low-$$T$$ commensurate magnetic structure extends in both H/T with increasing Fe concentration. The systematic evolution of the magnetic and electric properties indicates that the noncollinear ICM spin order results from competing magnetic interactions and its stabilization can be tuned by the internal ($$x$$) or external (magnetic field) perturbations.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); High Flux Isotope Reactor
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1001709
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Vol. 78
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English