Magnetic structure of magnetoelectric multiferroic HoFeWO 6
The polar magnetic oxide, HoFeWO6, is synthesized, and its crystal structure, magnetic structure, and thermodynamic properties are investigated. HoFeWO 6 forms the polar crystal structure (space group Pna2 1 (#33)) due to the cation ordering of W 6+ and Fe 3+ . An antiferromagnetic transition at T N = 17 K is accompanied by a significant change in magnetic entropy with a value of ≈ 5 J kg -1 K-1 in a 70 kOe applied field. Temperature dependent neutron diffraction and magnetization data indicate that the Fe sublattice orders in a strongly non-collinear and non-coplanar arrangement below T N . The Fe ordering initially leads to induced ordering of the Ho spins such that the Ho spins also show behavior of long-range ordering that is evident from the neutron diffraction measurements. Below T ≈ 4 K, the Ho spins order independently and pull the Fe spins toward the direction of Ho spins. A comparison with the magnetic structures and corresponding ferroelectric properties of other members of RMWO 6 (R = Y, Sm-Tm, M = Cr, Fe, V) family indicate that the spontaneous polarization is due to the magnetic structure specific to the Fe sublattice through magnetoelectric coupling whereas the polarization is independent of the Ho sublattice.