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The evolution of multiferroics

A Correction to this article was published on 17 January 2019

Abstract

Materials with a coexistence of magnetic and ferroelectric order — multiferroics — provide an efficient route for the control of magnetism by electric fields. The study of multiferroics dates back to the 1950s, but in recent years, key discoveries in theory, synthesis and characterization techniques have led to a new surge of interest in these materials. Different mechanisms, such as lone-pair, geometric, charge-ordering and spin-driven effects, can support multiferroicity. The general focus of the field is now shifting into neighbouring research areas, as we discuss in this Review. Multiferroic thin-film heterostructures, device architectures, and domain and interface effects are explored. The violation of spatial and inversion symmetry in multiferroic materials is a key feature because it determines their properties. Other aspects, such as the non-equilibrium dynamics of multiferroics, are underrated and should be included in the topics that will define the future of the field.

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Figure 1: Mechanisms promoting the coexistence of magnetic and electric long-range order.
Figure 2: Types of single-phase multiferroic materials with their maximum polarization values.
Figure 3: Multiferroic thin-film architectures.
Figure 4: Domains and domain walls in type I and type II multiferroics.
Figure 5: Magnetic toroidal moments and monopoles in crystals.
Figure 6: Electromagnons in cycloidal spin structures.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to dedicate this work to Hans Schmid, who coined the field of multiferroics and has been a continuous source of inspiration, both professionally and personally. Sadly, Hans passed away on 2 April 2015. The authors also thank A. Cano, for many enlightening discussions and for critical reading of the manuscript, and M. Fechner, for calculating the lone-pair structure in Fig. 1a.

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Fiebig, M., Lottermoser, T., Meier, D. et al. The evolution of multiferroics. Nat Rev Mater 1, 16046 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/natrevmats.2016.46

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