Coupled magnetic and electric hysteresis in the multiferroic double perovskite Lu2MnCoO6

TL;DR

This paper studies the multiferroic behavior of Lu2MnCoO6, revealing a unique hysteresis mechanism involving microscopic magnetic order evolution and coupling between magnetic and electric properties.

Contribution

It uncovers a novel hysteresis mechanism in Lu2MnCoO6 driven by microscopic magnetic order changes, distinct from classic ferromagnetic domain effects.

Findings

Magnetic hysteresis couples to electric polarization in Lu2MnCoO6.

Microscopic magnetic order evolution causes hysteresis, not ferromagnetic domains.

Temperature scales for ordering, dynamics, and hysteresis are clarified.

Abstract

We investigate a magnetic hysteresis loop with a remanent moment that couples to electric polarization to create coupled hysteretic multiferroic behavior in Lu2MnCoO6. Measurements of elastic neutron diffraction, muon spin relaxation, and micro-Hall magnetometry demonstrate an unusual mechanism for the magnetic hysteresis, namely the hysteretic evolution of a microscopic magnetic order, and not classic ferromagnetic domain effects. We show how the frustrated spin system evolves from antiferromagnetism with an incommensurate long-wavelength modulation and strong fluctuations towards a net magnetism. We also clarify the different temperature scales for the onset of ordering, dynamics, and hysteresis.