What did scientists discover?
Materials containing 3d and 4d transition-metal magnetic ions are being heavily investigated for new magnetic and electronic functionalities. We discovered and explained an extremely large coupling between the magnetism and ferroelectric properties in Ni3TeO6.
Why is this important?
Some of the most sensitive low-power magnetic sensors make use of magneto-electric coupling in insulators. Indeed, coupling between magnetism and electricity spans a wide range of practical applications. If this coupling can be achieved in an electrical insulator, applications requiring lower power and less waste heat, such as novel devices for data storage, can be envisioned.
Who did the research?
J. W. Kim1,2, S. Artyukhin1, E. D. Mun2,3, M. Jaime2, N. Harrison2, A. Hansen2, J. J. Yang1, Y. S. Oh1, D, Vanderbilt1, V. S. Zapf2, S. W. Cheong1
1Rutgers; 2NHMFL-LANL; 3Simon Frazer University
Why did they need the MagLab?
THE TOOLS THEY USED
This research was conducted in the 65 T and 100 T magnets at the MagLab's Pulsed Field Facility located at Los Alamos.
The ability to track the properties of the material across extended ranges of temperature and magnetic fields yields robust information to develop a theoretical model. Measurements to 92 teslas uncovered a new phase transition and allowed us to significantly constrain our microscopic model that explains this material’s unusual behaviors.
Details for scientists
- View or download the expert-level Science Highlight,
Colossal magnetoelectric coupling probed to 90 teslas - Read the full-length publication, Successive Magnetic-Field-Induced Transitions and Colossal Magnetoelectric Effect in Ni3TeO6, in Physical Review Letters .
Funding
This research was funded by the following grants: G.S. Boebinger (NSF DMR-1157490); LANL authors (BES FWP LANL F100); Rutgers authors (NSF DMREF 12-33349)
For more information, contact Vivien Zapf.