Magnetic, dielectric and magnetoelectric properties of new family of orthorhombic multiferroic Eu1−xYxMNO3 manganites

Abstract Multiferroic ground states with a spatially modulated antiferromagnetic structure and electric polarization have been revealed in Eu1−xYxMnO3 ( 0.2 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.5 ) single crystals. While the slightly substituted ( x ⩽ 0.1 ) compounds exhibited a transition from the incommensurate (IC) to the canted antiferromagnetic (CAF) state at T CA T N , the transitions from IC to commensurate ferroelectric (C/FE) phase were observed at T lock T N for x > 0.2 . Various phase transitions were observed in the magnetic fields up to 250 kOe along a, b, c axes by magnetization, magnetostriction and electric polarization measurements which show an existence of a spontaneous electric polarization below Tlock.