Magnetoelectric coupling and its impact on the multicaloric effect

TL;DR

This paper investigates the multicaloric effect in a multiferroic material, focusing on how magnetoelectric coupling influences entropy change during phase transitions, with experimental and literature-based insights.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental evaluation of the isothermal entropy change due to magnetoelectric coupling in a specific multiferroic material.

Findings

Pronounced entropy change at magnetic ordering temperature

Magnetic phase transitions involve larger entropy changes than linear effects

Literature suggests significant cross-correlation effects in phase transitions

Abstract

The multicaloric effect, which represents the reversible entropy change that occurs when both external magnetic and electric fields are applied, is an interesting phenomenon characteristic to multiferroics. Targeting the multicaloric effect in the typical multiferroic (Fe$_{0.95}$Zn$_{0.05}$)$_2$Mo$_3$O$_8$, we experimentally evaluate the isothermal entropy change due to a magnetoelectric cross-correlation. A pronounced cross-correlation-derived isothermal entropy change is found at the magnetic ordering temperature. By exploring the literature, we suggest that a magnetic phase transition may tend to involve a considerably larger cross-correlation-derived entropy change than that derived from the linear magnetoelectric effect.