2000/06/03 by Nicola A. Hill · 3 citations
Materials Science · #Multiferroics and related materials #Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materials #Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials
paper · doi:10.1021/jp000114x
openalex publication_date 2000/06/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Multiferroic magnetoelectrics are materials that are both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric in the same phase. As a result, they have a spontaneous magnetization that can be switched by an applied magnetic field, a spontaneous polarization that can be switched by an applied electric field, and often some coupling between the two. Very few exist in nature or have been synthesized in the laboratory. In this paper, we explore the fundamental physics behind the scarcity of ferromagnetic ferroelectric coexistence. In addition, we examine the properties of some known magnetically ordered ferroelectric materials. We find that, in general, the transition metal d electrons, which are essential for magnetism, reduce the tendency for off-center ferroelectric distortion. Consequently, an additional electronic or structural driving force must be present for ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity to occur simultaneously.