Multiferroic magnetic spirals induced by random magnetic exchanges

Abstract

Multiferroism can originate from the breaking of inversion symmetry caused by magnetic-spiral order. The usual mechanism for stabilizing a magnetic spiral is competition between magnetic exchange interactions differing by their range and sign, such as nearest-neighbor and next-nearest- neighbor interactions. Since the latter are usually weak the onset temperatures for multiferroism via this mechanism are typically low. By considering a realistic model for YBaCuFeO${}_5$ we propose an alternative mechanism for magnetic-spiral order, and hence for multiferroism, that occurs at much higher temperatures. We show using Monte-Carlo simulations and electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory that the Heisenberg model on a geometrically non-frustrated lattice with only nearest-neighbor interactions can have a spiral phase up to high temperature when frustrating bonds are introduced randomly along a single crystallographic direction as caused, e.g., by a particular type of chemical disorder. This long-range correlated pattern of frustration avoids ferroelectrically inactive spin glass order. Finally, we provide an intuitive explanation for this mechanism and discuss its generalization to other materials.

7 pages, 4 figures and supplemental material (8 pages and 6 figures)

References in corpus (7)

• Spin current and magneto-electric effect in non-collinear magnets
• Origin of the multiferroic spiral spin-order in the RMnO3 perovskites
• Multiferroicity with high-Tc in ceramics of the YBaCuFeO5 ordered perovskite
• Tuning magnetic spirals beyond room temperature with chemical disorder
• Incommensurate magnetic structure, Fe/Cu chemical disorder and magnetic interactions in the high-temperature multiferroic YBaCuFeO5
• Electronic polymers and soft-matter-like broken symmetries in underdoped cuprates
• Spiral order from orientationally correlated random bonds in classical XY models

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Tuning magnetic spirals beyond room temperature with chemical disorder
• Design of magnetic spirals in layered perovskites: extending the stability range far beyond room temperature
• Block-spiral magnetism: An exotic type of frustrated order
• Chirality-driven ferroelectricity in LiCuVO${}_4$
• Tuning the tilting of the spiral plane by Mn doping in YBaCuFeO5 multiferroic
• Spiral order from orientationally correlated random bonds in classical XY models
• Nature of the spiral state, electric polarisation and magnetic transitions in Sr-doped YBaCuFeO${}_5$: A first-principles study
• Counterroating incommensurate magnetic order and strong quantum fluctuations in the honeycomb layers of $\mathrm{NaN}{\mathrm{i}}_2\mathrm{Bi}{\mathrm{O}}_6$
• Magnetic properties of a highly ordered single crystal of the layered perovskite YBaCuFe${}_{0.95}$Mn${}_{0.05}$O${}_5$
• Weak ferromagnetism linked to the high-temperature spiral phase of YBaCuFeO5