Electric-Field Manipulation of Magnetic Chirality in a Homo-Ferro-Rotational Helimagnet

Published

September 4, 2024

Author(s)

Junjie Yang, Masaaki Matsuda, Trevor Tyson, Joshua Young, William Ratcliff, Yunpeng Gao, Dimuthu Obeysekera, Xiaoyu Guo, Rachel Owen, Liuyan Zhao, Sang-Wook Cheong

Abstract

Ferro-rotational (FR) materials, renowned for their distinctive material functionalities, present challenges in the growth of homo-FR crystals (i.e., single FR domain). This study explores a cost-effective approach to growing homo-FR helimagnetic RbFe(SO4)2 (RFSO) crystals by lowering the crystal growth temperature below the TFR threshold using the high-pressure hydrothermal method. Through polarized neutron diffraction experiments, it is observed that nearly 86% of RFSO crystals consist of a homo-FR domain. Notably, RFSO displays remarkable stability in the FR phase, with an exceptionally high TFR of ≈573 K. Furthermore, RFSO exhibits a chiral helical magnetic structure with switchable ferroelectric polarization below 4 K. Importantly, external electric fields can induce a single magnetic domain state and manipulate its magnetic chirality. The findings suggest that the search for new FR magnets with outstanding material properties should consider magnetic sulfates as promising candidates.

Citation

Advanced Science

Volume

11

Issue

33

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202402048

Local Download

Keywords

ferro-rotation, helimagnet, magnetic chirality, multiferroic, neutron diffraction, single crystal growth

Citation

Yang, J. , Matsuda, M. , Tyson, T. , Young, J. , Ratcliff, W. , Gao, Y. , Obeysekera, D. , Guo, X. , Owen, R. , Zhao, L. and Cheong, S. (2024), Electric-Field Manipulation of Magnetic Chirality in a Homo-Ferro-Rotational Helimagnet, Advanced Science, [online], https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202402048, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=957490 (Accessed October 13, 2025)