Magnetic frustration, phase competition, and the magnetoelectric effect in NdFe3(BO3)4.
We present an element selective resonant magnetic x-ray scattering study of NdFe3(BO3)4 as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field. Our measurements show that the magnetic order of the Nd sublattice is induced by the Fe spin order. When a magnetic field is applied parallel to the hexagonal basal plane, the helicoidal spin order is suppressed and a collinear ordering, where the moments are forced to align in a direction perpendicular to the applied magnetic field, is stabilized. This result excludes a noncollinear spin order as the origin of the magnetically induced electric polarization in this compound. Instead our data imply that magnetic frustration results in a phase competition, which is the origin of the magnetoelectric response.
Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW-Dresden, 01171 Dresden, Germany. j.e.hamann.borrero@ifw-dresden.de
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Hamann-Borrero
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Partzsch
S
S
Valencia
C
C
Mazzoli
J
J
Herrero-Martin
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Feyerherm
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E
Dudzik
C
C
Hess
A
A
Vasiliev
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L
Bezmaternykh
B
B
Büchner
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J
Geck