APS Logo

Orbital Moment enhanced novel giant magnetoelectric of Fe<sub>2</sub>Mo<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>

ORAL

Abstract

Over the last decade, Fe2Mo3O8 has attracted intensive attention due to its giant magnetoelectricity effect which is a consequence of the field dependent magnetic ground state (antiferromagnetic versus ferrimagnetic). However, the microscopic mechanism of magnetoelectricity is currently highly debated. To shed new light in this direction, we have investigated the electronic and magnetic properties of Fe2Mo3O8 by element-selective X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy (XMCD). Our measurements show that the iron ions in both octahedral and tetrahedral sites are in the Fe2+ configuration, which agrees with first principle calculations. XMCD measurements at Fe-L2,3 and Mo-L2,3 edges respectively reveal large magnetic moments at the Fe2+ sites and no net-moment on the Mo sites. Full-multiplet calculations of XMCD and crystal field theory show the existence of large spin (~3.5mB) and orbital (~1mB) moments for Fe2+ ions at both sites and in both magnetic phases, with the total magnetic moment larger on the octahedral site. The existence of large orbital moments implies the importance of the interplay between the spin-orbit coupling, the structural distortions, and the magnetic field to the microscopic mechanism of magnetoelectricity.

–

Presenters

  • Lunyong Zhang

    Harbin Institute of Technology

Authors

  • Lunyong Zhang

    Harbin Institute of Technology

  • Gheorghe Pascut

    MANSID, MANSiD Research Center, Stefan Cel Mare University, MANSiD Research Center and Faculty of Forestry, Stefan Cel Mare University (USV), Suceava 720229, Romania, MANSiD Research Center and Faculty of Forestry, Applied Ecology Laboratory, Stefan Cel Mare University (USV), MANSiD Research Center, Stefan Cel Mare University (USV)

  • Bin Gao

    Rice University, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials, Rutgers University, Department of Physics and astronomy, Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Rice Univ

  • Stefano Agrestini

    Diamond Synchrotron Light Source, Diamond Light Source, Diamond Light Source, UK, ALBA Synchrotron Light Source

  • Manuel Valvidares

    ALBA Synchrotron Light Source

  • zhiwei hu

    Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids

  • Sang-Wook Cheong

    Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials, Rutgers University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Center for Quantum Materials Synthesis, Rutgers University, Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers