1.
J Phys Condens Matter
; 21(49): 496002, 2009 Dec 02.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21836206
ABSTRACT
We observe a seemingly complex magnetic field dependence of the dielectric constant of hexagonal YbMnO(3) near the spin ordering temperature. After rescaling, the data taken at different temperatures and magnetic fields collapse on a single curve describing the sharp anomaly in nonlinear magnetoelectric response at the magnetic transition. We show that this anomaly is a result of the competition between two magnetic phases. The scaling and the shape of the anomaly are explained using the phenomenological Landau description of the competing phases in hexagonal manganites.