Investigations of the Al1-xGaxFeO3 family and other oxide materials

Abstract

Multiferroics are materials in which more than one ferroic order is present simultaneously1,2. Ferroic properties are those properties which spontaneously order with an applied field and are switchable. These ferroic properties can be ferromagnetic if the material order magnetically under an applied magnetic field, it can be ferroelectric if it orders electrically under an applied electric field it can also be ferroelastic if stress can induce a reversible deformation in these materials. When any of these or their corresponding antiferroic properties co-exist in a material, they are termed multiferroic 1. These materials are quite important from the technological point of view as they serves quite promising for use in memory devices, recording etc. and also equip us with an extra degree of freedom to tune the properties.