Magnetoelectric multiferroics: from fundamentals to transformative applications -- a mini review

TL;DR

This mini review discusses the fundamental mechanisms, recent advances, and potential applications of multiferroics that exhibit coupled magnetic and electric properties, highlighting nanostructures and quantum effects for future technologies.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of both classical and quantum mechanisms in multiferroics, emphasizing nanostructured systems and their applications in energy and sensing technologies.

Findings

Nanostructured multiferroics enhance ME effects for tunable devices

Quantum spin systems enable efficient energy conversion

Applications include sensors, tunable RF devices, and quantum engines

Abstract

Multiferroics, combining ferroelectric and magnetic orders, enable magnetoelectric (ME) coupling for advanced applications. This mini review explores single-phase and composite multiferroics, examining phenomenological, microscopic, nanostruc-tured, and quantum mechanisms driving ME effects. Phenomenological models quantify coupling coefficients, while microscopic approaches reveal spin-lattice in-teractions, including frustrated spin states and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya contributions. Nanostructured systems, such as plasmonic skyrmion lattices and metasurfaces, en-hance ME effects for tunable birefringence and electromagnon amplification. Quan-tum heat engines utilize spin entanglement and topological protection in chiral chains and skyrmion lattices for efficient energy conversion. Applications include high-sensitivity magnetic sensors, tunable radio-frequency devices, energy-efficient MERAM, energy harvesters, quantum heat engines, and thermal diodes. Future re-search aims to optimize room-temperature ME coupling, scalability, coherence, and biocompatibility for innovations in sensing, quantum computing, and sustainable energy.