Anomalous Coexistence of Ferroelectric Phases ($P\parallel a$ and $P\parallel c$) in Orthorhombic Eu${}_{1-y}$Y${}_y$MnO${}_3$ ($y>0.5$) Crystals

Abstract

We have investigated the magnetic and dielectric properties of orthorhombic Eu${}_{1-y}$Y${}_y$MnO${}_3$ ($0\le y\le 0.6$) single crystals without the presence of the 4$f$ magnetic moments of the rare-earth ions. In $y\ge 0.2$, the magnetic-structure driven ferroelectricity is observed. The ferroelectric transition temperature is steeply reducing with increasing $y$. In $y\ge 0.52$, two ferroelectric phases ($P\parallel a$ and $P\parallel c$) are coexistent at low temperatures. In these phases, ferroelectricity has different origin, which is evidenced by the distinctive poling-electric-field dependence of electric polarization. Namely, the electric polarization along the c axis ($P_c$) is easily saturated by a poling electric field, therefore $P_c$ is caused by the $bc$ spiral antiferromagnetic order. On the other hand, the electric polarization along the a axis ($P_a$) is probably attributed to the collinear $E$-type antiferromagnetic order, because $P_a$ is unsaturated even in a poling field of $10^6$ V/m.

10 pages, 4figures, to be published in Journal of the Physical Society of Japan

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