Magnetic switching and phase competition in the multiferroic antiferromagnet Mn1-x Fex WO4

F. Ye, Y. Ren, J. A. Fernandez-Baca, H. A. Mook, J. W. Lynn, R. P. Chaudhury, Y. Q. Wang, B. Lorenz, C. W. Chu

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Abstract

Elastic neutron scattering is used to study the spin correlations in the multiferroic Mn1-x Fex WO4 with x=0.035, 0.05, and 0.10. The noncollinear incommensurate (ICM) magnetic structure associated with the ferroelectric (FE) phase in pure MnWO4 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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number193101
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume78
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 3 2008

Funding

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