Giant Magnetoelectric Effect in HoAl_3(BO_3)_4

Abstract

A giant magnetoelectric polarization is found in HoAl${}_3$(BO${}_3$)${}_4$. The polarization in transverse field geometry at 70 kOe reaches 3600 $\mu C/m^2$ which is significantly higher than reported values of linear magnetoelectric or even multiferroic compounds. The magnetostrictive effect is also measured and compared with the magnetoelectricity. The results show that spin-lattice coupling in HoAl${}_3$(BO${}_3$)${}_4$ is extremely strong and that the magnetic field causes a large polar distortion of the ionic positions in the unit cell.

4 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Multiferroics: different ways to combine magnetism and ferroelectricity
• Ferroelectric polarization flop in a frustrated magnet MnWO${}_4$ induced by magnetic fields
• Magnetoelectric Effect and Spontaneous Polarization in HoFe${}_3$(BO${}_3$)${}_4$ and Ho${}_{0.5}$Nd${}_{0.5}$Fe${}_3$(BO${}_3$)${}_4$