Pseudo Jahn-Teller origin of perovskite multiferroics, magnetic-ferroelectric crossover, and magnetoelectric effects: the d0-d10 problem

Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Mar 30;108(13):137202. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.137202. Epub 2012 Mar 28.

Abstract

The conditions of multiferroicity in d(n) perovskites are derived from the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect, due to which ferroelectric displacements are triggered by vibronic coupling between ground and excited electronic states of opposite parity but same spin multiplicity; it takes place for some specific d(n) configurations and spin states only. In combination with the high-spin-low-spin crossover effect this leads to a novel phenomenon, the magnetic-ferroelectric (multiferroics) crossover which predicts magnetoelectric effects with exciting functionalities including electric magnetization and demagnetization.