2008/02/20 by D. Lebeugle, D. Colson, A. Forget +4 · 6 citations
Chemistry · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Antiferromagnetism #Bismuth #Bismuth ferrite #Chemistry #Condensed matter physics #Crystallography #Dielectric #Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials #Ferroelectricity #Materials science #Multiferroics #Multiferroics and related materials #Optoelectronics #Physics #Poling #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.100.227602
arxiv created 2008/02/20 · openalex publication_date 2008/06/02 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Bismuth ferrite, BiFeO3, is the only known room-temperature magnetic ferroelectric material. We demonstrate here, using neutron scattering measurements in high quality single crystals, that the antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric order parameters are intimately coupled. Initially in a single ferroelectric state, our crystals have a canted antiferromagnetic structure describing a unique cycloid. Under electrical poling, polarization reorientation induces a spin flop. We argue here that the coupling between the two orders may be stronger in the bulk than in thin films where the cycloid is absent.