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A Strong Ferroelectric Ferromagnet

EuTiO3 on DyScO3Ferroelectric ferromagnets are a holy grail of materials research, since they would enable electrically  switchable magnetism with diverse potential applications in information technology, sensing and new  “electro-magneto-mechanical” devices. Unfortunately, the few materials that have both ferroelectricity  and ferromagnetism are very weak compared to those that exhibit only one or the other: their  polarizations or magnetizations are 1000 times smaller. MRSEC researchers have developed a new  route to ferroelectric ferromagnets: transform magnetically ordered insulators that are neither  ferroelectric nor ferromagnetic (of which there are many) by stretching their lattice. For example, the  material EuTiO3 was predicted to exhibit strong ferromagnetism and strong ferroelectricity when  compressed in two dimensions. Experiments confirmed these predictions. New predictions promise materials which could function at room temperature, potentially opening up a new universe of  applications for materials that simultaneously show both magnetic and electric order.

MRSEC DMR-0820404 and DMR-0507146 (Penn State), DMR-0520404 (Cornell), and DMR-0820414 (Ohio State)