Magnetic-field-induced ferroelectric state in DyFeO3

Versatile and gigantic magnetoelectric (ME) phenomena have been found for a single crystal of DyFeO3. Below the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of Dy moments, a linear-ME tensor component as large as αzz∼2.4×10- 2esu is observed. It is also revealed that application of magnetic field along the c axis induces a multiferroic (weakly ferromagnetic and ferroelectric) phase with magnetization [ 0.5μB/formula unit (f.u.)] and electric polarization ( 0.2μC/cm2) both along the c axis. Exchange striction working between adjacent Fe3+ and Dy3+ layers with the respective layered antiferromagnetic components is proposed as the origin of the ferroelectric polarization in the multiferroic phase.