Direct Observation of Magnetic-Ion Off-Centering-Induced Ferroelectricity in Multiferroic Manganite Pr(Sr0.1Ca0.9)2 Mn2O7

Chao Ma; Yue Lin; Huaixin Yang; Huanfang Tian; Lei Shi; Jie Zeng; Jianqi Li

doi:10.1002/adma.201502385

Direct Observation of Magnetic-Ion Off-Centering-Induced Ferroelectricity in Multiferroic Manganite Pr(Sr0.1Ca0.9)2 Mn2O7

Adv Mater. 2015 Nov 4;27(41):6328-32. doi: 10.1002/adma.201502385. Epub 2015 Sep 21.

Authors

Chao Ma¹, Yue Lin¹, Huaixin Yang², Huanfang Tian², Lei Shi¹, Jie Zeng¹, Jianqi Li²

Affiliations

¹ Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China.
² Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China.

PMID: 26390084
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201502385

Abstract

Ferroelectricity in multiferroic Pr(Sr0.1 Ca0.9)2 Mn2 O7 is found to originate from the off-centering of Mn ions. This polar displacement is energetically stabilized by the cooperative interplay of lattice deformation induced by orbital ordering and oxygen octahedral tilting. This mechanism implies that magnetism and ferroelectricity arise from the same magnetic ions, providing direct evidence for the magnetic-ion off-centering-driven ferroelectricity.

Keywords: manganite; multiferroics; orbital ordering; structural distortions; transmission electron microscopy.