Multiferroic and magnetoelectric nature of GaFeO3, AlFeO3 and related oxides

TL;DR

This study demonstrates ferroelectricity and magnetoelectric effects in GaFeO3, AlFeO3, and related oxides, revealing their multiferroic nature through experimental pyroelectric measurements and theoretical first-principles calculations.

Contribution

It provides the first evidence of ferroelectricity in these ferrimagnetic oxides and explores its origin via non-centrosymmetric magnetic ordering and disorder.

Findings

Ferroelectricity observed below N extquoterighteel temperature.

Significant magnetoelectric effect detected.

First-principles calculations support non-centrosymmetric magnetic ordering as origin.

Abstract

GaFeO3, AlFeO3 and related oxides are ferrimagnetic exhibiting magnetodielectric effect. There has been no evidence to date for ferroelectricity and hence multiferroicity in these oxides. We have investigated these oxides as well as oxides of the composition Al1-x-yGaxFe1+yO3 (x = 0.2, y = 0.2) for possible ferroelectricity by carrying out pyroelectric measurements. These measurements establish the occurrence of ferroelectricity at low temperatures below the N\`eel temperature in these oxides. They also exhibit significant magnetoelectric effect. We have tried to understand the origin of ferroelectricity based on non-centrosymmetric magnetic ordering and disorder by carrying out first-principles calculations.