Tunable multiferroic order parameters in Sr₁- _x Ba _x Mn₁- _y Ti _y O₃

Responding to the rapidly increasing demand for efficient energy usage and increased speed and functionality of electronic and spintronic devices, multiferroic oxides have recently emerged as key materials capable of tackling this multifaceted challenge. In this paper, we describe the development of single-site manganese-based multiferroic perovskite materials with modest amounts of nonmagnetic Ti substituted at the magnetic Mn site in Sr₁- _x Ba _x Mn₁- _y Ti _y O₃ (SBMTO). Significantly enhanced properties were achieved with ferroelectric-type structural transition temperatures boosted to ∼430K. Ferroelectric distortions with large spontaneous polarization values of ∼30microC/cm², derived from a point charge model, are similar in magnitude to those of the prototypical nonmagnetic BaTiO₃. Temperature dependence of the system's properties was investigated by synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction and neutron powder diffraction at ambient and high pressures. Various relationships were determined between the structural and magnetic properties, Ba and Ti contents, and T _N and T _C. Most importantly, our results demonstrate the large coupling between the magnetic and ferroelectric order parameters and the wide tunability of this coupling by slight variations of the material's stoichiometry.