Tuning the competition between ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism in a half-doped manganite through magnetoelectric coupling

Publication Type

Journal Article

Authors

DOI

Abstract

We investigate the possibility of controlling the magnetic phase transition of the heterointerface between a half-doped manganite La0.5Ca 0.5MnO3 and a multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) through magnetoelectric coupling. Using macroscopic magnetometry and element-selective x-ray magnetic circular dichroism at the Mn and Fe L edges, we discover that the ferroelectric polarization of BFO controls simultaneously the magnetization of BFO and La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 (LCMO). X-ray absorption spectra at the oxygen K edge and linear dichroism at the Mn L edge suggest that the interfacial coupling is mainly derived from the superexchange between Mn and Fe t2g spins. The combination of x-ray absorption spectroscopy and mean-field theory calculations reveals that the d-electron modulation of Mn cations changes the magnetic coupling in LCMO, which controls the enhanced canted moments of interfacial BFO via the interfacial coupling. Our results demonstrate that the competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic instability can be modulated by an electric field at the heterointerface, providing another pathway for the electrical field control of magnetism. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Journal

Physical Review Letters

Volume

111

Year of Publication

2013

ISSN

00319007

Notes

cited By 68

Research Areas