Magnetic ferroelectrics or multiferroics, which are currently extensively explored, may provide a good arena to realize a novel magnetoelectric function. Here we demonstrate the genuine electric control of the spiral magnetic structure in one of such magnetic ferroelectrics, TbMnO3. A spin-polarized neutron scattering experiment clearly shows that the spin helicity, clockwise or counter-clockwise, is controlled by the direction of spontaneous polarization and hence by the polarity of the small cooling electric field.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0701430,
title = {Electric Control of Spin Helicity in a Magnetic Ferroelectric},
author = {Y. Yamasaki and H. Sagayama and T. Goto and M. Matsuura and K. Hirota and T. Arima and Y. Tokura},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0701430},
year = {2009}
}