Magnetic-field tuning of domain-wall multiferroicity

Abstract

Néel-type magnetic domain walls locally reduce the symmetry of the crystal and give rise to electric polarization. This type of localized multiferroicity is particularly promising due to the sensibility of the domain wall's internal structure to the magnetic field. In this paper, the magnetic-field-modified electric polarization of the domain wall is considered and compared to the room-temperature giant magnetoelectric effect observed on domain walls in iron garnet films.

Influence of the magnetic field on the nucleation and properties of 0-degree domain walls in uniaxial films with inhomogeneous magnetoelectric interaction

“…The latter property can serve as an additional argument in favor of the FME nature of the phenomenon under consideration [15] as well as for practical applications. It should be noted that experimental studies in this situation [7,13] are in good agreement with the results of its theoretical substantiation based on the phenomenological model [14,15]. At the same time, in [16], the calculations of possible magnetic inhomogeneities in a uniaxial ferromagnet with inhomogeneous magnetoelectric interaction were carried out for the first time.…”

“…It should be noted that experiments to detect the FME effect in ferrite-garnet films independently of [4] have been performed more in previous works [10,11], and in [12] (it studied local electric fields generated in DW in ferrite-garnet films) based on the technique of fluorescence spectroscopy of single molecules, and the nature of the observed effect was confirmed by FME. In addition, the study of the influence of the Zeeman interaction on the degree of manifestation of the FME effect in ferrite-garnet films showed [7,13] that if the external magnetic field is directed perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the magnetic moments 180 • DW, then by changing the magnitude and direction of the field, it is possible to adjust the magnitude of the effect (more precisely, the value of the integral polarization [7,13,14]) and even 'switch' the nature of the interaction from attraction to repulsion. The latter property can serve as an additional argument in favor of the FME nature of the phenomenon under consideration [15] as well as for practical applications.…”