Field dependent competing magnetic ordering in multiferroic Ni3V2O8

TL;DR

This study investigates the complex magnetic and electric phase transitions in the multiferroic Ni3V2O8, revealing a new magnetic field-induced phase with electric ordering and quantifying its magneto-electric coupling.

Contribution

It provides comprehensive thermodynamic, dielectric, and magnetic data on Ni3V2O8, discovering a new phase transition and characterizing magneto-electric interactions in this multiferroic.

Findings

Identification of a new magnetic field-induced phase below 2 K

Observation of simultaneous magnetic and electric ordering signatures

Quantitative estimation of magneto-electric coupling strength

Abstract

The geometrically frustrated magnet Ni3V2O8 undergoes a series of competing magnetic ordering at low temperatures. Most importantly, one of the incommensurate phases has been reported to develop a ferroelectric correlation caused by spin frustration. Here we report an extensive thermodynamic, dielectric and magnetic study on clean polycrystalline samples of this novel multiferroic compound. Our low temperature specific heat data at high fields up to 14 Tesla clearly identify the development of a new magnetic field induced phase transition below 2 K that shows signatures of simultaneous electric ordering. We also report temperature and field dependent dielectric constant that enables us to quantitatively estimate the strength of magneto-electric coupling in this improper ferroelectric material.