Enhancing the magnetoelectric coupling of Co₄Nb₂O₉[100] by substituting Mg for Co

Abstract

We report experimental studies on enhancing the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling of Co₄Nb₂O₉ by substituting the non-magnetic metal Mg for Co. A series of single crystal Co_4−xMg_xNb₂O₉ (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) with a single-phase corundum-type structure are synthesized using the optical floating zone method, and the good quality and crystallographic orientations of the synthesized samples are confirmed by the Laue spots and sharp XRD peaks. Although the Néel temperatures (T_N) of the Mg substituted crystals decrease slightly from 27 K for pure Co₄Nb₂O₉ to 19 K and 11 K for Co₃MgNb₂O₉ and Co₂Mg₂Nb₂O₉, respectively, the ME coupling is doubly enhanced by Mg substitution when x = 1. The ME coefficient α_ME of Co₃MgNb₂O₉ required for the magnetic field (electric field) control of electric polarization (magnetization) is measured to be 12.8 ps/m (13.7 ps/m). These results indicate that the Mg substituted Co_4−xMg_xNb₂O₉ (x = 1) could serve as a potential candidate material for applications in future logic spintronics and logic devices.

Keywords

single crystal / magnetoelectric coupling / substitution

References

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