Polarized-neutron-scattering studies on the chiral magnetism in multiferroic MnWO4

Neutron diffraction with spherical polarization analysis is a powerful tool for studying the multiferroic materials where the ferroelectric polarization arises from a complex magnetic structure. Analyzing the off-diagonal terms in the polarization matrix one may directly detect the chiral contributi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of physics. Conference series 2010-02, Vol.211 (1), p.012001
Main Authors: Finger, T, Senff, D, Schmalzl, K, Schmidt, W, Regnault, L P, Becker, P, Bohatý, L, Braden, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Crystal structure
Electric fields
Ferroelectricity
Hysteresis
Magnetic structure
Magnetism
Modulation
Multiferroic materials
Neutron diffraction
Neutrons
Physics
Pinning
Polarization
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Summary:Neutron diffraction with spherical polarization analysis is a powerful tool for studying the multiferroic materials where the ferroelectric polarization arises from a complex magnetic structure. Analyzing the off-diagonal terms in the polarization matrix one may directly detect the chiral contributions even in a multidomain arrangement. In MnWO4 one can control the chiral magnetism by varying an electric field at constant temperature. The analysis of multiferroic hysteresis cycles at four equivalent magnetic Bragg peaks fully agrees with a nearly monodomain chiral arrangement controlled by the electric field. A pronounced asymmetry of the hysteresis cycles and memory effects point to strong pinning of the chiral magnetism in MnWO4. We find a second-order harmonic modulation which exhibits both magnetic and structural character and which may be related with the domain pinning. The observed interference between the nuclear and the magnetic modulation is another manifestation of the coupling between the crystal structure and the magnetism in the multiferroic oxides.
ISSN:1742-6596
1742-6588
1742-6596
DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/211/1/012001