Theory of Magnetic-Field-Induced Polarization Flop in Spin-Spiral Multiferroics

The magnetic-field-induced 90-degree flop of ferroelectric polarization P in a spin-spiral multiferroic material TbMnO3 is theoretically studied based on a microscopic spin model. We find that the direction of the P-flop or the choice of +Pa or -Pa after the flop is governed by magnetic torques produced by the applied magnetic field H acting on the Mn spins and thus is selected in a deterministic way, in contradistinction to the naively anticipated probabilistic flop. This mechanism resolves a puzzle of the previously reported memory effect in the P direction depending on the history of the magnetic-field sweep, and enables controlled switching of multiferroic domains by externally applied magnetic fields. Our Monte-Carlo analysis also uncovers that the magnetic structure in the P||a phase under H||b is not a so-far anticipated simple ab-plane spin cycloid but a conical spin structure.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Microwave magnetochiral effect in Cu2OSeO3

We theoretically find that in a multiferroic chiral magnet Cu2OSeO3, resonant magnetic excitations are coupled to collective oscillation of electric polarization, and thereby attain simultaneous activity to ac magnetic field and ac electric field. Because of interference between these magnetic and electric activation processes, this material hosts gigantic magnetochiral dichroism on microwaves, that is, the directional dichroism at gigahertz frequencies in Faraday geometry. The absorption intensity of microwave differs by as much as 30% depending on whether its propagation direction is parallel or antiparallel to the external magnetic field.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Controlled creation of nanometric skyrmions using external magnetic fields

To exploit nanometric magnetic skyrmions as information carriers in high-density storage devices, a method is needed that creates intended number of skyrmions at specified places in the device preferably at a low energy cost. We theoretically propose that using a system with a fabricated hole or notch, the controlled creation of individual skyrmions can be achieved even when using an external magnetic field applied to the entire specimen. The fabricated defect turns out to work like a catalyst to reduce the energy barrier for the skyrmion creation.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Spin and Orbital States and Their Phase Transitions of the Perovskite-Type Ti Oxides: Weak coupling Approach

The magnetic phase diagram of the perovskite-type Ti oxides as a function of the GdFeO3-type distortion is examined by using the Hartree-Fock analysis of a multiband d-p Hamiltonian from a viewpoint of competitions of the spin-orbit interaction, the Jahn-Teller (JT) level-splitting and spin-orbital superexchange interactions. Near the antiferromagnetic (AFM)-to-ferromagnetic (FM) phase boundary, A-type AFM [AFM(A)] and FM states accompanied by a certain type of orbital ordering are lowered in energy at large JT distortion, which is in agreement with the previous strong coupling study. With increasing the GdFeO3-type distortion, their phase transition occurs. Through this magnetic phase transition, the orbital state hardly changes, which induces nearly continuous change in the spin coupling along the c-axis from negative to positive. The resultant strong two-dimensionality in the spin coupling near the phase boundary is attributed to the strong suppression of T_N and T_C, which is experimentally observed. On the other hand, at small GdFeO3-type without JT distortions, which correspond to LaTiO3, the most stable solution is not G-type AFM [AFM(G)] but FM. Although the spin-orbit interaction has been considered to be relevant at the small or no JT distortion of LaTiO3 in the literature, our analysis indicates that the spin-orbit interaction is irrelevant to the AFM(G) state in LaTiO3 and superexchange-type interaction dominates. On the basis of further investigations on the nature of this FM state and other solutions, this discrepancy is discussed in detail.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

Resonance modes and microwave driven translational motion of skyrmion crystal under an inclined magnetic field

We theoretically investigate the microwave-active resonance modes of a skyrmion crystal on a thin-plate specimen under application of an external magnetic field that is inclined from the perpendicular direction to the skyrmion plane. In addition to the well-known breathing mode and two rotation modes, we find novel resonance modes that can be regarded as combinations of the breathing and rotation modes. Motivated by the previous theoretical work of Wang $et$ $al.$ [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 92}, 020403(R) (2015).], which demonstrated skyrmion propagation driven by breathing-mode excitation under an inclined magnetic field, we investigate the propagation of a skyrmion crystal driven by these resonance modes using micromagnetic simulations. We find that the direction and velocity of the propagation vary depending on the excited mode. In addition, it is found that a mode with a dominant counterclockwise-rotation component drives much faster propagation of the skyrmion crystal than the previously studied breathing mode. Our findings enable us to perform efficient manipulation of skyrmions in nanometer-scale devices or in magnetic materials with strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy such as GaV$_4$S$_4$ and GaV$_4$Se$_4$, using microwave irradiation.Comment: 9+ pages, 9 figures, to be published in Physical Review

Selective Activation of an Isolated Magnetic Skyrmion in a Ferromagnet with Microwave Electric Fields

We theoretically reveal that pure eigenmodes of an isolated magnetic skyrmion embedded in a ferromagnetic environment can be selectively activated using microwave electric fields without exciting gigantic ferromagnetic resonances, in contrast to conventional methods using microwave magnetic fields. We also demonstrate that this selective activation of a skyrmion can efficiently drive its translational motion in a ferromagnetic nanotrack under application of an external magnetic field inclined from the normal direction. We find that a mode with combined breathing and rotational oscillations induces much faster skyrmion propagation than the breathing mode studied previously by Wang et al. [Phys. Rev. B 92, 020403(R) (2015)].Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Theoretically predicted picosecond optical switching of spin chirality in multiferroics

We show theoretically with an accurate spin Hamiltonian describing the multiferroic Mn perovskites that the application of the picosecond optical pulse with a terahertz frequency can switch the spin chirality through intensely exciting the electromagnons. There are four states with different spin chiralities, i.e. clockwise and counterclockwise ab/bc-plane spin spirals, and by tuning the strength, shape and length of the pulse, the switching among these states can be controlled at will. Dynamical pattern formation during the switching is also discussed.Comment: 4+ pages, 5 figure

Dynamical magnetoelectric phenomena of multiferroic skyrmions

Magnetic skyrmions, vortex-like swirling spin textures characterized by a quantized topological invariant, realized in chiral-lattice magnets are currently attracting intense research interest. In particular, their dynamics under external fields is an issue of vital importance both for fundamental science and for technical application. Whereas observations of magnetic skyrmions had been limited to metallic magnets so far, their realization was discovered also in a chiral-lattice insulating magnet Cu2OSeO3 in 2012. Skyrmions in the insulator turned out to exhibit multiferroic nature with spin-induced ferroelectricity. Strong magnetoelectric coupling between noncollinear skyrmion spins and electric polarizations mediated by relativistic spin-orbit interaction enables us to drive motion and oscillation of magnetic skyrmions by application of electric fields instead of injection of electric currents. Insulating materials also provide an environment suitable for detection of pure spin dynamics through spectroscopic measurements owing to absence of appreciable charge excitations. In this article, we review recent theoretical and experimental studies on multiferroic properties and dynamical magnetoelectric phenomena of magnetic skyrmions in insulators. We argue that multiferroic skyrmions show unique coupled oscillation modes of magnetizations and polarizations, so-called electromagnon excitations, which are both magnetically and electrically active, and interference between the electric and magnetic activation processes leads to peculiar magnetoelectric effects in a microwave frequency regime.Comment: 27 pages, 26 figures, invited review article, to be published in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte

Theory of Magnetism-Driven Negative Thermal Expansion in Inverse Perovskite Antiferromagnets

Magnetism-induced negative thermal expansion (NTE) observed in inverse perovskite antiferromagnets Mn3AN (A=Zn, Ga, etc.) is theoretically studied by a classical spin model with competing bond-length-dependent exchange interactions. We numerically reproduce the crystal-volume expansion upon cooling triggered by a non-coplanar antiferromagnetic order and show that the expansion occurs so as to maximize an energy gain of the nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic interactions. This mechanism is not specific to inverse perovskite magnets and might also be expected in magnets with other crystal structures. We propose other candidate crystal structures that might exhibit NTE through this mechanism.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Theory of magnetic switching of ferroelectricity in spiral magnets

We propose a microscopic theory for magnetic switching of electric polarization (P) in the spin-spiral multiferroics by taking TbMnO3 and DyMnO3 as examples. We reproduce their phase diagrams under a magnetic field H_ex by Monte-Carlo simulation of an accurate spin model and reveal that competition among the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, spin anisotropy, and spin exchange is controlled by the applied H_ex, resulting in magnetic transitions accompanied by reorientation or vanishing of P. We also discuss the relevance of the proposed mechanisms to many other multiferroics such as LiCu2O2, MnWO4, and Ni3V2O4Comment: 4+ pages, 4 figure