title: Phase transition and phase separation in multiferroic orthorhombic Dy(1-x)Ho(x)MnO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1).
abstract: We report on structural, magnetic, ferroelectric, and thermodynamic properties of polycrystalline orthorhombic manganites Dy(1-x)Ho(x)MnO(3) for Ho substitution levels 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. This system offers a possibility to systemically modulate the multiferroicity of RMnO(3) via tuning the A-site ionic radii as well as the A-site magnetism. The successive transition of the multiferroic ground state is traced from the bc-cycloidal (DyMnO(3)) to the E-type antiferromagnetic phase (HoMnO(3)). In the middle substitution range 0.4 < x < 0.5, the phase separation is prominent, which's residual may survive in an even wider range. Accompanied with the phase transition and phase separation, obvious enhancement of both the polarization and magnetoelectric response is observed. Our experimental study also confirmed that the rare earth (Dy/Ho)-Mn exchange striction is a crucial role in deciding the multiferroicity of manganites.
authors.affiliation: 1] Henan Province Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China [2] Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Henan Province Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China.
authors.forename: Zhaoming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Zhibo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Henan Province Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China.
authors.forename: Fanggao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Junming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu