Collective magnetism at multiferroic vortex domain walls

Abstract

Topological defects have been playgrounds for many emergent phenomena in complex matter such as superfluids, liquid crystals, and early universe. Recently, vortex-like topological defects with six interlocked structural antiphase and ferroelectric domains merging into a vortex core were revealed in multiferroic hexagonal manganites. Numerous vortices are found to form an intriguing self-organized network. Thus, it is imperative to find out the magnetic nature of these vortices. Using cryogenic magnetic force microscopy, we discovered unprecedented alternating net moments at domain walls around vortices that can correlate over the entire vortex network in hexagonal ErMnO3 The collective nature of domain wall magnetism originates from the uncompensated Er3+ moments and the correlated organization of the vortex network. Furthermore, our proposed model indicates a fascinating phenomenon of field-controllable spin chirality. Our results demonstrate a new route to achieving magnetoelectric coupling at domain walls in single-phase multiferroics, which may be harnessed for nanoscale multifunctional devices.

18 pages, 10 figures

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Cited by in corpus (20)

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• Landau theory of topological defects in multiferroic hexagonal manganites
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• Robust A-type order and spin-flop transition on the surface of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Magnetic imaging of antiferromagnetic domain walls
• Aperiodic topological order in the domain configurations of functional materials
• Quasi-one-dimensional metallic conduction channels in exotic ferroelectric topological defects
• Vortex Ferroelectric Domains, Large-loop Weak Ferromagnetic Domains, and Their Decoupling in Hexagonal (Lu, Sc)FeO3
• Multiferroic RMnO3 thin films
• Electronic bulk and domain wall properties in B-site doped hexagonal ErMnO${}_3$
• Unconventional order-disorder phase transition in improper ferroelectric hexagonal manganites
• Dimensionality-induced change in topological order in multiferroic oxide superlattices
• Magnetoelectric coupling and decoupling in multiferroic hexagonal YbFeO3 thin films
• Ferro-rotational domain walls revealed by electric quadrupole second harmonic generation microscopy
• Domain walls and ferroelectric reversal in corundum derivatives
• Giant Magnetic Fluctuations at the Critical Endpoint in Insulating HoMnO3
• Recent Progress on Multiferroic Hexagonal Rare-Earth Ferrites (h-RFeO3, R = Y,Dy-Lu)
• Electrostatic potential mapping at ferroelectric domain walls by low-temperature photoemission electron microscopy
• h-ErMnO3 absorbance, reflectivity and, emissivity in the THz to mid-infrared from 2 K to 1700 K: carrier screening, Fröhlich resonance, small polarons, and bipolarons