Strong magnetoelectric coupling at an atomic nonmagnetic electromagnetic probe in bismuth ferrite

Isolated nonmagnetic substitutional defect ions experience huge coupled electric magnetic interaction in the single-phase multiferroic BiFeO3. In the ferroelectric state above the magnetic Ned temperature T-N, the electric environment generates a single symmetric electric field gradient (EFG) parallel to the electric polarization direction. Below T-N, a distinct magnetic interaction arises, monitored by the probe nuclei via their magnetic moment. Two magnetic environments arise, given by the relative angle of the local magnetic moment within its easy magnetic plane with respect to the EFG orientation. The angle between field gradient orientation and magnetic field direction is the most stable fitting parameter. The magnetic interaction concomitantly increases the EFG dramatically which reflects an outstandingly large local magnetoelectric coupling. In the set of best fits, two different electric environments form concurrently with two distinctly different local magnetic fields. The magnetic ordering in BiFeO3 thus completely distorts the electric environment of the nonmagnetic probe nucleus. The implications for the local effect of dopants in BiFeO3 are discussed. A third probe environment arising independent of temperature is identified and associated with an iron vacancy.