Multiferroics
Multiferroics
PRASHANT SHAHI
Research Scholar
Department of Applied Physics
Institute of Technology
Banaras Hindu University
Content
• What is multiferroic?
• Types of multiferroics
• Mechanism for multiferroics.
• Future possibilities in multiferroics
• Summary
Multiferroics
• There may exist systems in
which two types of ordering—
(Ferro) magnetism, the
spontaneous ordering of orbital
and spin magnetic moments,
and Ferro electricity, the
spontaneous ordering of
electric dipole moments—can
coexist in one material in the
absence of external electric
and magnetic fields. These
materials are now called
multiferroics .
Types of multiferroics
Type-1
Multiferroics
Ferroelectricity “Geometric”
Multiferroic Ferroelectricity due to
due to lone pairs charge ordering
ferroelectricity
perovskites
Multiferroic perovoskites
• Here we use mixed perovoskites with d0 and dn
transition metal ion, where unfilled d orbital TM
ions produce ferroelectricity and filled d orbital
TM ions causes magnetism.
• Ferroelerticty is due to off-centre distortion.
• Example-PbFe1/23+Nb1/25+O3.
Ferroeletricty due to lone pairs
• The ferroeletricity here is due to the lone pairs
present at the ion.
• Example-BiMnO3,BiFeO3
• Example-TbMn2O3
“Geometric” ferroelectricity
• Ferroelectricty is caused by the tilting of any
block. This tilting occurs to get the closed
packing .
• Example-YMnO3
• In this crystal MnO5 block tilted to proved closed
packing so the oxygen become nearer to
Yittrium and this causes ferroelectricty in
YMnO3.
From the point of view of the mechanism of multiferroic behavior, one can
divide type-II multiferroics into two groups: those in which ferroelectricity is
caused by a particular type of magnetic spiral and those in which ferroelectricity
appears even for collinear magnetic structures.
Type-II multiferroics:
Magnetic multiferroics
Type-II multiferroics
Spiral type-II with collinear
multiferroics magnetic structures
Spiral type-II multiferroics
• In these type of crystals Ferro electricity
appears in conjunction with a spiraling
magnetic phase, mostly of the cycloid type.
• Ferroeletricity is mainly due to spin- orbit
coupling.
• Example –TbMnO3
Multiferroics with collinear magnetic
structures
• The second type of magnetically driven ferroelectrics are
those in which Ferro electricity appears in collinear magnetic
structures.
• Example-Ca3CoMnO6
Some spin-off of the multiferroic story
Future possibility
• Investigation of the dynamical property and elementary
operation of multiferroics.