Magnetoelectrics: is CdCr2S4 a multiferroic relaxor?
Materials showing simultaneous ferroelectric and magnetic ordering are attracting a great deal of interest because of their unusual physics and potential applications. Hemberger et al. have reported relaxor-like dielectric properties and colossal magnetocapacitance (in excess of 500%) for the cubic spinel compound CdCr2S4 and related isomorphs, concluding that CdCr2S4 is a multiferroic relaxor. We argue here, however, that their results might also be explained by a conductive artefact.
Catalan
Gustau
G
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK. gcat05@esc.cam.ac.uk
Scott
James F
JF