Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals
Published on: August 15, 2018
Electronic correlations decimate the ferroelectric polarization of multiferroic homn2o5
Gianluca Giovannetti1, Jeroen van den Brink
1Institute Lorentz for Theoretical Physics, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9506, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We show that electronic correlations decimate the intrinsic ferroelectric polarization of multiferroic manganites RMn2O5, where R is a rare earth element. Such is manifest from ab initio band structure computations that account for the Coulomb interactions between the manganese 3d electrons--the root of magnetism in RMn2O5. Including these leads to an amplitude and direction of polarization of HoMn2O5 that agree with experiment. The decimation is caused by a near cancellation of the ionic polarization induced by the lattice and the electronic one due to valence charge redistributions.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Ferromagnetism
03:02Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
02:58Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
02:42Valence Bond Theory
02:46Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
01:31Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor