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Nat

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ion High Temperature Multiferroics

I-Wei Chen, University of Pennsylvania, DMR 0907523• Multiferroics are compounds that

contain aligned electric and magnetic moments. They respond to both electric and magnetic stimuli, and provide both electric and magnetic bias. Potential applications include digital memory and sensors. Most multiferroics known to date are from the ABO3 family. Exploring other compounds that may exhibit multiferroics is important for expanding the window of opportunity and diversity. Professor Chen found compounds in the family of AFe2O5 are also multiferroic. This finding opens a new territory to develop optimal multiferroics for technological applications.

Upper: Polarized light microscopy showing a single crystal that is bright at 400oC due to aligned electric moment, but dim at 500oC after loss of moment/alignment.

Below: Single crystals reoriented under a horizontal magnetic field, indicating aligned magnetic moment.