Magnetic frustration, phase competition and the magneto-electric effect in NdFe3(BO3)4

Abstract

We present an element selective resonant magnetic x-ray scattering study of NdFe3(BO3)4 as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field. Our measurements show that the magnetic order of the Nd sublattice is induced by the Fe spin order. When a magnetic field is applied parallel to the hexagonal basal plane, the helicoidal spin order is suppressed and a collinear ordering, where the moments are forced to align in a direction perpendicular to the applied magnetic field, is stabilized. This result excludes a non-collinear spin order as the origin of the magnetically induced electric polarization in this compound. Instead our data imply that magnetic frustration results in a phase competition, which is the origin of the magneto-electric response.

arXiv comment5 pages, 3 figures

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• Control of the magnetic phase coexistence in NdFe${}_3$(BO${}_3$)${}_4$ by electric fields
• Nuclear resonant surface diffraction
• Peculiarities of optical absorption spectra of NdFe${}_3$(BO${}_3$)${}_4$ crystal in magnetically ordered state and at the transition to spiral magnetic phase