Abstract
We report a single crystal neutron and x-ray diffraction study of the hybrid improper multiferroic Ca3Mn1.9Ti0.1O7 (CMTO), a prototypical system where the electric polarization arises from the condensation of two lattice distortion modes. With increasing temperature (T), the out-of-plane, antiphase tilt of MnO6 decreases in amplitude while the in-plane, in-phase rotation remains robust and experiences abrupt changes across the first-order structural transition. Application of hydrostatic pressure (P) to CMTO at room temperature shows a similar effect. The consistent behavior under both T and P reveals the softness of antiphase tilt and highlights the role of the partially occupied d orbital of the transition-metal ions in determining the stability of the octahedral distortion. Polarized neutron analysis indicates the symmetry-allowed canted ferromagnetic moment is less than the 0.04μB/Mn site, despite a substantial out-of-plane tilt of the MnO6 octahedra.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | 041112 |
Journal | Physical Review B |
Volume | 97 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 19 2018 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics