Multiferroic rust: magnetoelectric effect in göthite, $\alpha$-FeOOH

Abstract

By means of symmetry analysis, density functional theory calculations, and Monte Carlo simulations we show that goethite, $\alpha$-FeOOH, is a linear magnetoelectric below its Néel temperature $T_{\mathrm{N}}=400$ K. The experimentally observed magnetic field induced spin-flop phase transition results in either change of direction of electric polarization or its suppression. Calculated value of magnetoelectric coefficient is 0.24 $\mu$C m${}^{-2}$ T${}^{-1}$. The abundance of goethite in nature makes it arguably the most widespread magnetoelectric material.

10 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables

References in corpus (1)

• Magnetoelectric Coupling in epsilon-Fe2O3