The incommensurate magnetic structure of YMn2O5: a stringent test of the multiferroic mechanism

Abstract

We have determined the magnetic structure of the low-temperature incommensurate phase of multiferroic YMn2O5 using single-crystal neutron diffraction. By employing corepresentation analysis, we have ensured full compliance with both symmetry and physical constraints, so that the electrical polarization must lie along the b axis, as observed. The evolution of the spin components and propagation through the commensurate-incommensurate phase boundary points unambiguously at the exchange-striction mechanism as the primary driving force for ferroelectricity.

References in corpus (11)

• Ferroelectricity in spiral magnets
• Magnetic inversion symmetry breaking and ferroelectricity in TbMnO3
• Spin-polarization coupling in multiferroic transition-metal oxides
• Ferroelectricity induced by acentric spin-density waves in YMn${}_2$O${}_5$
• Competing Magnetic Phases on a "Kagome Staircase"
• A Neutron diffraction study of multiferroics RMn2O5
• Multiferroicity induced by dislocated spin-density waves
• Complex Spin Structures and Origin of the Magneto-Electric Coupling in YMn2O5
• Symmetry constraints on the electrical polarization in novel multiferroic materials
• Manipulating the magnetic structure by electric fields in multiferroic ErMn2O5
• The commensurate phase of multiferroic HoMn2O5 studied by X-ray magnetic scattering

Cited by in corpus (9)

• First-principles modeling of multferroic RMn${}_2$O${}_5$
• Coupling of magnetic and ferroelectric hysteresis by a multi-component magnetic structure in Mn2GeO4
• Ferroelectricity from spin supercurrents in LiCuVO4
• Observation of Electronic Ferroelectric Polarization in Multiferroic YMn${}_2$O${}_5$
• Magnetic excitations in the low-temperature ferroelectric phase of multiferroic YMn2O5 using inelastic neutron scattering
• Investigation of infrared phonon modes in multiferroic single-crystal FeTe${}_2$O${}_5$Br
• Role of magnetic chirality in polarization flip upon commensurate-incommensurate magnetic phase transition in YMn${}_2$O${}_5$
• First-principles study of multiferroic RbFe(MoO${}_4$)${}_2$
• Molecular-spin dynamics study of electromagnons in multiferroic RMn${}_2$O${}_5$