There are currently three types of ferroic materials that are widely known; ferromagnets, ferroelectricity, and ferroelastic materials. A fourth form of ferroic order, ferrotoroidicity, has been postulated. To confirm that a material is a ferrotorodic, corresponding ferrotoroidic domains need to be observed. Spatially resolved measurements with a nonlinear optical imaging method on LiCoPO4 were carried out, and observed ferrotoroidic domains that coexist with independent antiferromagnetic domains.
- Bas B. Van Aken
- Jean-Pierre Rivera
- Manfred Fiebig