Coupled multiferroic domain switching in the canted conical spin spiral system Mn${}_2$GeO${}_4$

Abstract

Despite remarkable progress in developing multifunctional materials, spin-driven ferroelectrics featuring both spontaneous magnetization and electric polarization are still rare. Among such ferromagnetic ferroelectrics are conical spin spiral magnets with a simultaneous reversal of magnetization and electric polarization that is still little understood. Such materials can feature various multiferroic domains that complicates their study. Here we study the multiferroic domains in ferromagnetic ferroelectric Mn${}_2$GeO${}_4$ using neutron diffraction, and show that it features a double-Q conical magnetic structure that, apart from trivial 180 degree commensurate magnetic domains, can be described by ferromagnetic and ferroelectric domains only. We show unconventional magnetoelectric couplings such as the magnetic-field-driven reversal of ferroelectric polarization with no change of spin-helicity, and present a phenomenological theory that successfully explains the magnetoelectric coupling. Our measurements establish Mn${}_2$GeO${}_4$ as a conceptually simple multiferroic in which the magnetic-field-driven flop of conical spin spirals leads to the simultaneous reversal of magnetization and electric polarization.

arXiv comment25+4 pages, 4+1 figures, 2+2 tables

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• Electric field-induced nonreciprocal directional dichroism in a time-reversal-odd antiferromagnet
• Imitation of spin density wave order in Cu${}_3$Nb${}_2$O${}_8$
• Domain switching and exchange bias control by electric field in multiferroic conical magnet Mn${}_2$GeO${}_4$
• Landau Potential for Multiferroic Mn_2GeO_4
• Sawtooth lattice multiferroic BeCr${}_2$O${}_4$: Non-collinear magnetic structure and multiple magnetic transitions
• Electric-field-induced magnetic toroidal moment and nonlinear magnetoelectric effect in antiferromagnetic olivines