Enhancement of polarization and magnetization in polycrystalline magnetoelectric composite

TL;DR

This paper investigates how polycrystalline microstructures can enhance polarization and magnetization in magnetoelectric composites, highlighting the role of microstructure randomness and strain effects in improving multiferroic properties.

Contribution

It identifies polycrystalline configurations that outperform single crystals in enhancing magnetoelectric coupling, emphasizing the impact of microstructure and strain effects.

Findings

Polycrystalline microstructures improve polarization and magnetization.

Randomness in microstructure enhances cross-coupling effects.

Strain anisotropy plays a key role in property enhancement.

Abstract

Electrical control of magnetization or magnetic control of polarization offers an extra degree of freedom in materials possessing both electric and magnetic dipole moments viz., magnetoelectric multiferroics. Microstructure with polycrystalline configurations that enhances the overall polarization/magnetization and that outperform single crystalline configurations are identified. The characterization of local fields corresponding to the polycrystal configuration underlines nontrivial role played by randomness in better cross-coupling mediated by anisotropic and asymmetric strains.