Mn3TeO6 - A New Multiferroic Material with Two Magnetic Substructures

Abstract

From magnetic susceptibility, dielectric permittivity, electric polarization and specific heat measurements, we discover spin-induced ferroelectricity and magnetoelectric coupling in Mn3TeO6 and observe two successive magnetic transitions at low temperatures. A non-ferroelectric intermediate magnetic state occurs below 23 K and a multiferroic ground state emerges below 21 K. Moreover, Mn3TeO6 is a candidate for a multiferroic material where two types of incommensurate spin structures, cycloidal and helical, coexist. Theoretically, both spin substructures may contribute to the macro electric polarization via different mechanisms.

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Phys. Status Solidi RRL,1-5 (2015), which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pssr.201510347/abstract