Browsing by Author "Condor, K"

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    Effects of 18O isotope substitution in multiferroic RMnO3 (R = Tb, Dy)
    (Australian Institute of Physics, 2016-02-05) Graham, PJ; Narayanan, N; McIntyre, GJ; Hutchison, WD; Ulrich, C; Reynolds, N; Rovillain, P; Hester, JR; Kimpton, JA; Yethiraj, M; Pomjakushina, E; Condor, K; Kenzelmann, M
    Multiferroic materials demonstrate desirable attributes for next-generation multifunctional devices as they exhibit coexisting ferroelectric and magnetic orders. In type-II multiferroics, coupling exists that allows ferroelectricity to be manipulated via magnetic order and vice versa, offering potential in high-density information storage and sensor applications. Despite extensive investigations into the subject, questions of the physics of magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroics remain, and competing theories propose different mechanisms. The aim of this investigation was to study changes in the statics and dynamics of structural, ferroelectric and magnetic orders with oxygen-18 isotope substitution to shine light into the coupling mechanism in multiferroic RMnO3 (R=Tb, Dy) systems. We have performed Raman spectroscopy on 16O and 18O-substituted TbMnO3 single crystals. Oxygen-18 isotope substitution reduces all phonon frequencies significantly. However, specific heat measurements determine no changes in Mn3+ (28 and 41 K) magnetic phase transition temperatures. Pronounced anomalies in peak position and linewidth at the magnetic and ferroelectric phase transitions. While the anomalies at the sinusoidal magnetic phase transition (41 K) are in accordance to the theory of spin-phonon coupling, further deviations develop upon entering the ferroelectric phase (28 K). Furthermore, neutron diffraction measurements on 16O and 18O-substituted DyMnO3 powders show structural deviations at the ferroelectric phase transition (17 K) in the order of 100 fm in the b direction. The Pbnm space group is centrosymmetric and therefore does not allow ferroelectricity via atomic displacements, however our Reitveld analysis for the subgroup P21 shows significant displacements and polarisation along b that is comparable to the experimental value, making it the most promising candidate for ionic displacement induced polarisation in DyMnO3. These combined results demonstrate that structure is an important consideration in the emergence of ferroelectricity in these materials.
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    Ferroelectric charge order stabilized by antiferromagnetism in multiferroic LuFe(2)O(4)
    (Australian Institute of Physics, 2012-02-02) Mulders, AM; Bartkowiak, M; Hester, JR; Pomjakushina, E; Condor, K
    Neutron diffraction measurements on multiferroic LuFe2O4 show changes in the antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure characterized by wavevector q = ( 1/3 1/3 ½) as a function of electric field cooling procedures. The increase of intensity from all magnetic domains and the decrease in the 2D magnetic order observed below the Neel temperature are indicative of increased ferroelectric charge order. The AFM order changes the dynamics of the CO state, and stabilizes it. It is determined that the increase in electric polarization observed at the magnetic ordering temperature is due to a transition from paramagnetic 2D charge order to AFM 3D charge order.
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    Magnetoelectric coupling in isotopically substituted TbMn16/18O3 and RMn2O5 (R=Tb, Ho and Y) explored by Raman light spectroscopy
    (Australian Institute of Physics, 2014-02-04) Graham, PJ; Rovillian, P; Mulders, AM; Yethiraj, M; Argyriou, D; Pomjakushina, E; Condor, K; Kenzelmann, M; Ulrich, C
    Multiferroic materials demonstrate excellent potential for next-generation multifunctional devices, as they exhibit coexisting ferroelectric and magnetic orders. In magnetoelectric multiferroics, the existing coupling between both properties offers a unique possibility to manipulate ferroelectricity via magnetic order and vice versa opening unexpected new potential for high-density information storage and sensor applications. At present, the underlying physics of the magnetoelectric coupling is not fully understood, and competing theories propose conflicting experimental outcomes. By studying the lattice and magnetic excitations via Raman light scattering, we have obtained insight into the various coupling mechanism in multiferroic materials like TbMnO3 and RMn2O5 (R = Tb, Ho, and Y). Raman light scattering experiments were performed on TbMn16/18O3 oxygen-isotopesubstituted single crystals. Pronounced anomalies in sign and strength of the phonon shifts at the magnetic phase transition at 43 K and the ferroelectric phase transition at 28 K indicate an interaction between the lattice and the magnetic and electric ordering, providing information about the nature of the competing magnetic interactions present in this compound. Our Raman light scattering experiments on RMn2O5 (R = Tb, Ho, and Y) revealed opposite spin-phonon interactions for R = magnetic Tb and Ho, in contrast to non-magnetic Y. This offers a unique insight in the various competing spin exchange interactions, which lead to the highly frustrated spin structure and finally the multiferroic properties of RMn2O5. Using single crystal neutron diffraction at high magnetic fields (up to 11 T) we were able to determine a theoretically proposed but hitherto unobserved crystallographic phase transition, which naturally explains the origin of the ferroelectric polarization.