skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Magnetic domain wall induced ferroelectricity in double perovskites

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4917560· OSTI ID:22398902
;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444 (China)

Recently, a magnetically induced ferroelectricity occurring at magnetic domain wall of double perovskite Lu{sub 2}CoMnO{sub 6} has been reported experimentally. However, there exists a conflict whether the electric polarization is along b or c direction. Here, by first-principles calculations, we show that the magnetic domain wall (with ↑↑↓↓ spin configuration) can lead to the ferroelectric displacements of R{sup 3+}, Ni{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 4+}, and O{sup 2−} ions in double perovskites R{sub 2}NiMnO{sub 6} (R = rare earth ion) via exchange striction. The resulted electric polarization is along b direction with the P2{sub 1} symmetry. We further reveal the origin of the ferroelectric displacements as that: (1) on a structural point of view, such displacements make the two out-of-plane Ni-O-Mn bond angles as well as Ni-Mn distance unequal, and (2) on an energy point of view, such displacements weaken the out-of-plane Ni-Mn super-exchange interaction obviously. Finally, our calculations show that such a kind of ferroelectric order is general in ferromagnetic double perovskites.

OSTI ID:
22398902
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 15; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English