Axion-matter coupling in multiferroics
Abstract
Multiferroics (MFs) are materials with two or more ferroic orders, like spontaneous ferroelectric and ferromagnetic polarizations. Such materials can exhibit a magnetoelectric effect whereby magnetic and ferroelectric polarizations couple linearly, reminiscent of, but not identical to the electromagnetic axion coupling. Here we point out a possible mechanism in which an external dark matter axion field couples linearly to ferroic orders in these materials without external applied fields. We find the magnetic response to be linear in the axion-electron coupling. At temperatures close to the ferromagnetic transition fluctuations can lead to an enhancement of the axion-induced magnetic response. Relevant material candidates such as the Lu-Sc hexaferrite family are discussed.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2102.10171,
title = {Axion-matter coupling in multiferroics},
author = {Henrik S. Røising and Benjo Fraser and Sinéad M. Griffin and Sumanta Bandyopadhyay and Aditi Mahabir and Sang-Wook Cheong and Alexander V. Balatsky},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.10171},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
16 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Physical Review Research