Weak ferromagnetism and internal magnetoelectric effect in LiFeP2_2O7_7

The magnetic, thermodynamic, and pyroelectric properties of LiFeP$_2$O$_7$ single crystals are investigated with emphasis on the magnetoelectric interaction of the electrical polarization with the magnetic order parameter. The magnetic order below T$_N\simeq$ 27 K is found to be a canted antiferromagnet with a weak ferromagnetic component along the $b-$axis. A sharp peak of the pyroelectric current at T$_N$ proves the strong internal magnetoelectric interaction resulting in a sizable polarization decrease at the onset of magnetic order. The magnetoelectric effect in external magnetic fields combines a linear and a quadratic field dependence below T$_N$. Thermal expansion data show a large uniaxial magnetoelastic response and prove the existence of strong spin lattice coupling. LiFeP$_2$O$_7$ is a polar compound with a strong interaction of the magnetic order parameter with the electric polarization and the lattice.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Temperature-Dependent Magnetoelectric Effect from First Principles

We show that nonrelativistic exchange interactions and spin fluctuations can give rise to a linear magnetoelectric effect in collinear antiferromagnets at elevated temperatures that can exceed relativistic magnetoelectric responses by more than 1 order of magnitude. We show how symmetry arguments, ab initio methods, and Monte Carlo simulations can be combined to calculate temperature-dependent magnetoelectric susceptibilities entirely from first principles. The application of our method to Cr2O3 gives quantitative agreement with experiment.

Dynamical magnetoelectric effects in multiferroic oxides

Multiferroics with coexistent ferroelectric and magnetic orders can provide an interesting laboratory to test unprecedented magnetoelectric responses and their possible applications. One such example is the dynamical and/or resonant coupling between magnetic and electric dipoles in a solid. As the examples of such dynamical magnetoelectric effects, (1) the multiferroic domain wall dynamics and (2) the electric-dipole active magnetic responses are discussed with the overview of recent experimental observations.Comment: 15 pages including 6 figures; Accepted for publication in Phil. Trans. A Roy. Soc. (Special issue, Spin on Electronics

Magnetic-field-induced switching between ferroelectric phases in orthorhombic-distortion-controlled RRMnO3_{3}

We have investigated the dielectric and magnetic properties of Eu$_{0.595}$Y$_{0.405}$MnO$_{3}$ $without$ the presence of the 4$f$ magnetic moments of the rare earth ions, and have found two ferroelectric phases with polarization along the $a$ and $c$ axes in a zero magnetic field. A magnetic field induced switching from one to the other ferroelectric phase took plase in which the direction of ferroelectric polarization changed from the a axis to the c axis by the application of magnetic fields parallel to the a axis. In contrast to the case of TbMnO$_{3}$, in which the 4$f$ moments of Tb$^{3+}$ ions play an important role in such a ferroelectric phase switching, the magnetic-field-induced switching between ferroelectric phases in Eu$_{0.595}$Y$_{0.405}$MnO$_{3}$ does not originate from the magnetic transition of the rare-earth 4$f$ moments, but from that of the Mn 3$d$ spins.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, RevTeX4, Proceedings of MMM 2005, to appear in J. Appl. Phy

Analysis of optical magnetoelectric effect in GaFeO_3

We study the optical absorption spectra in a polar ferrimagnet GaFeO_3. We consider the E1, E2 and M1 processes on Fe atoms. It is shown that the magnetoelectric effect on the absorption spectra arises from the E1-M1 interference process through the hybridization between the 4p and 3d states in the noncentrosymmetry environment of Fe atoms. We perform a microscopic calculation of the spectra on a cluster model of FeO_6 consisting of an octahedron of O atoms and an Fe atom displaced from the center with reasonable values for Coulomb interaction and hybridization. We obtain the magnetoelectric spectra, which depend on the direction of magnetization, as a function of photon energy in the optical region 1.0-2.5 eV, in agreement with the experiment.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Relativistic nature of a magnetoelectric modulus of Cr_2O_3-crystals: a new 4-dimensional pseudoscalar and its measurement

Earlier, the magnetoelectric effect of chromium sesquioxide Cr_2O_3 has been determined experimentally as a function of temperature. One measures the electric field-induced magnetization on Cr_2O_3 crystals or the magnetic field-induced polarization. From the magnetoelectric moduli of Cr_2O_3 we extract a 4-dimensional relativistic invariant pseudoscalar $\widetilde{\alpha}$. It is temperature dependent and of the order of 10^{-4}/Z_0, with Z_0 as vacuum impedance. We show that the new pseudoscalar is odd under parity transformation and odd under time inversion. Moreover, $\widetilde{\alpha}$ is for Cr_2O_3 what Tellegen's gyrator is for two port theory, the axion field for axion electrodynamics, and the PEMC (perfect electromagnetic conductor) for electrical engineering.Comment: Revtex, 36 pages, 9 figures (submitted in low resolution, better quality figures are available from the authors

On the nature of the magnetic ground-state wave function of V_2O_3

After a brief historical introduction, we dwell on two recent experiments in the low-temperature, monoclinic phase of V_2O_3: K-edge resonant x-ray scattering and non-reciprocal linear dichroism, whose interpretations are in conflict, as they require incompatible magnetic space groups. Such a conflict is critically reviewed, in the light of the present literature, and new experimental tests are suggested, in order to determine unambiguously the magnetic group. We then focus on the correlated, non-local nature of the ground-state wave function, that is at the basis of some drawbacks of the LDA+U approach: we singled out the physical mechanism that makes LDA+U unreliable, and indicate the way out for a possible remedy. Finally we explain, by means of a symmetry argument related to the molecular wave function, why the magnetic moment lies in the glide plane, even in the absence of any local symmetry at vanadium sites.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Solid State Systems for Electron Electric Dipole Moment and other Fundamental Measurements

In 1968, F.L. Shapiro published the suggestion that one could search for an electron EDM by applying a strong electric field to a substance that has an unpaired electron spin; at low temperature, the EDM interaction would lead to a net sample magnetization that can be detected with a SQUID magnetometer. One experimental EDM search based on this technique was published, and for a number of reasons including high sample conductivity, high operating temperature, and limited SQUID technology, the result was not particularly sensitive compared to other experiments in the late 1970's. Advances in SQUID and conventional magnetometery had led us to reconsider this type of experiment, which can be extended to searches and tests other than EDMs (e.g., test of Lorentz invariance). In addition, the complementary measurement of an EDM-induced sample electric polarization due to application of a magnetic field to a paramagnetic sample might be effective using modern ultrasensitive charge measurement techniques. A possible paramagnetic material is Gd-substituted YIG which has very low conductivity and a net enhancement (atomic enhancement times crystal screening) of order unity. Use of a reasonable volume (100's of cc) sample of this material at 50 mK and 10 kV/cm might yield an electron EDM sensitivity of $10^{-33}$ e cm or better, a factor of $10^6$ improvement over current experimental limits.Comment: 6 pages. Prepared for ITAMP workshop on fundamental physics that was to be held Sept 20-22 2001 in Cambride, MA, but was canceled due to terrorist attack on U.S New version incorporates a number of small changes, most notably the scaling of the sensitivity of the Faraday magnetometer with linewidth is now treated in a saner fashion. The possibility of operating at an even lower temperarture, say 10 microkelvin, is also discusse

Transition from Townsend to glow discharge: subcritical, mixed or supercritical

The full parameter space of the transition from Townsend to glow discharge is investigated numerically in one space dimension in the classical model: with electrons and positive ions drifting in the local electric field, impact ionization by electrons ($\alpha$ process), secondary electron emission from the cathode ($\gamma$ process) and space charge effects. We also perform a systematic analytical small current expansion about the Townsend limit up to third order in the total current that fits our numerical data very well. Depending on $\gamma$ and system size pd, the transition from Townsend to glow discharge can show the textbook subcritical behavior, but for smaller values of pd, we also find supercritical or some intermediate ``mixed'' behavior. The analysis in particular lays the basis for understanding the complex spatio-temporal patterns in planar barrier discharge systems.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Neel state of antiferromagnet as a result of a local measurement in the distributed quantum system

Single-site measurement in a distributed macroscopic antiferromagnet is considered; we show that it can create antiferromagnetic sublattices at macroscopic scale. We demonstrate that the result of measurement depends on the symmetry of the ground state: for the easy-axis case the Neel state is formed, while for the easy-plane case unusual ``fan'' sublattices appear with unbroken rotational symmetry, and a decoherence wave is generated. For the latter case, a macroscopically large number of measurements is needed to pin down the orientation of the sublattices, in spite of the high degeneracy of the ground state. We note that the type of the final state and the appearance of the decoherence wave are governed by the degree of entanglement of spins in the system.Comment: 4 REVTeX pages, 1 figure in PostScrip