Electric field control of magnetic phase transitions in Ni3V2O8

TL;DR

This study demonstrates electric field manipulation of magnetic phase transition temperatures in Ni3V2O8 thin films, revealing potential for electric control of magnetic states in multiferroic materials.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence and a theoretical model for electric field tuning of magnetic phase transitions in a multiferroic compound.

Findings

Suppression of magnetic transition temperature by 0.2 K at 30 MV/m

Increase of ferroelectric transition temperature by 0.2 K at 25 MV/m

Qualitative understanding via a mean field model with tri-linear coupling

Abstract

We report on the electric field control of magnetic phase transition temperatures in multiferroic Ni3V2O8 thin films. Using magnetization measurements, we find that the phase transition temperature to the canted antiferromagnetic state is suppressed by 0.2 K in an electric field of 30 MV/m, as compared to the unbiased sample. Dielectric measurements show that the transition temperature into the magnetic state associated with ferroelectric order increases by 0.2 K when the sample is biased at 25 MV/m. This electric field control of the magnetic transitions can be qualitatively understood using a mean field model incorporating a tri-linear coupling between the magnetic order parameters and spontaneous polarization.