New Delhi: Scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have discovered a mechanism of electric polarization through magnetic ordering in MnBi2S4, pointing towards new directions in data storage technology.
Led by Professor A. Sundaresan, the research into magnetoelectric multiferroics, focusing on the novel mineral MnBi2S4, has been published in PHYSICAL REVIEW B. The study reveals MnBi2S4’s ability to exhibit ferroelectricity due to specific magnetic structures, a finding that is rare and valuable for applications such as spintronics and electronic memory devices.
Utilizing high-resolution neutron diffraction, the research team uncovered magnetic structures in MnBi2S4, including spin density waves, cycloidal and helical spin structures. These structures contribute to the material’s magnetic ordering at low temperatures (27, 23, and 21.5 Kelvins) and are crucial for inducing ferroelectricity.
Professor Sundaresan highlighted the discovery’s significance in understanding magnetoelectric coupling, noting that this behavior in MnBi2S4 has not been reported previously. This advancement could lead to the development of energy-efficient data storage technologies that require less energy for data writing processes.
The research was supported by the Sheikh Saqr Laboratory and International Centre for Materials Science at JNCASR, with financial assistance from DST, SERB, and the Government of India. Neutron beam time was provided by the Science and Technology Facility Council (STFC UK).
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