Multiple conical spin order in spinel structure stabilized by magnetic anisotropy

Abstract

Conical spin order, where the spin components along the conical axis form magnetization while the spiral parts induce ferroelectric polarization, possesses multiferroicity with inherent magnetoelectric coupling. A Monte Carlo simulation performed using a classical Heisenberg spinel (AB₂O₄) model reveals a multiple conical spin order, i.e., three modulations with different cone angles and wavelengths on A sites and two alternate B sites. The spin order not only exists as the ground state but also survives locally stably in a larger parameter region. The whole existence range can be effectively expanded by anisotropy to cover the cases of CoCr₂O₄ and MnCr₂O₄. The multiple conical spin order is well maintained and finely tuned by frustration and anisotropy over the whole existence range, and the magnetic and ferroelectric properties are influenced correspondingly.

Keywords

conical spin order / multiferroicity / spinel structure / Monte Carlo simulation

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Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg