Abstract
Electronic phase separation has been increasingly recognized as an important phenomenon in understanding many of the intriguing properties displayed in transition metal oxides. It is believed to produce fascinating functional properties in otherwise chemically homogenous electronic systems, e.g., colossal magnetoresistance manganites and high-Tc cuprates. While many well-known electronically phase-separated systems are oxides, it has been argued that the same phenomenon should occur in other electronic systems with strong competing interactions. Here we report the observation of electronic phase separation in molecular (ND4)2FeCl5·D2O, a type-II multiferroic. We show that two magnetic phases, one of which is commensurate and the other of which is incommensurate, coexist in this material. Their evolution under applied magnetic field produces emergent properties. In particular, our measurements reveal a field-induced exotic state linked to a direct transition from a paraelectric/paramagnetic phase to a ferroelectric/antiferromagnetic phase, a collective phenomenon that hasn't been seen in other magnetic multiferroics.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 054407 |
Journal | Physical Review B |
Volume | 98 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 8 2018 |
Funding
Research at ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor is sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy. Research at the University of Tennessee is supported by the National Science Foundation DMR-1707846 and the Materials Research Fund. A portion of this work was performed at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, which is funded by the National Science Foundation through DMR-1644779 and the States of Florida and New Mexico. J.S. appreciates funding from Basic Energy Sciences, U. S. Department of Energy FWP Science in 100 T Program. J.Q.Y, B.C.S, and R.S.F are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. This paper has been co-authored by employees of UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE- AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).