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Raman imaging approach to the study of ferroelectric domains and Raman spectra of multiferroic boracites

Milko N. Iliev 1Victor G. Hadjiev Jordi Pascual 

1. University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, Houston, TX 77204, United States

Abstract

The boracites with general formula M3B7O13X (M=divalent metal, X=Cl,Br,I), shortly denoted as M-X, are among the first known multiferroic materials. They exhibit a sequence of transitions from the high temperature paraelectric cubic phase to ferroelectric orthorhombic, monoclinic, trigonal phases, and finally to a monoclinic phase at low temperatures, where both ferroelectric and magnetic orders coexist. The reports on the lattice dynamics of boracites have been restricted so far to the paraelectric cubic phase, the main problem with other phases being the coexistence of twin variants with different crystallographic and polarization orientation. It will be  demonstrated on the example of  Co3B7O13Cl (Co-Cl), Co3B7O13Br (Co-Br) and Ni3B7O13Br (Ni-Br)  that using Raman microscopy imaging one can visualize the twin variants, obtain Raman spectra from untwined domains in exact scattering configurations, determine the Raman mode symmetries, and assign the Raman lines to definite atomic motions. The variations of the ferroelectric domains and Raman spectra through crystallographic transitions will also be discussed.

 

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Presentation: Invited oral at E-MRS Fall Meeting 2008, Symposium A, by Milko N. Iliev
See On-line Journal of E-MRS Fall Meeting 2008

Submitted: 2008-06-10 19:43
Revised:   2009-06-07 00:48