A study of the dielectric and magnetic properties of multiferroic materials using the Monte Carlo method

Abstract

A study of the dielectric and magnetic properties of multiferroic materials using the Monte Carlo (MC) method is presented. Two different systems are considered: the first, ferroelectric-antiferromagnetic (FE-AFM) recently studied by X. S. Gaoand J. M. Liu and the second antiferroelectric-ferromagnetic (AFE-FM). Based on the DIFFOUR-Ising hybrid microscopic model developed by Janssen, a Hamiltonian that takes into account the magnetoelectric coupling in both ferroic phases is proposed. The obtained results show that the existence of such coupling modifies the ferroelectric and magnetic ordering in both phases. Additionally, it is shown that the presence of a magnetic or an electric field influences the electric polarization and the magnetization, respectively, making evident the magnetoelectric effect.