Soft-mode behavior of electromagnons in multiferroic manganite

Abstract

The behavior of the low-frequency electromagnon in multiferroic DyMnO 3 has been investigated in external magnetic fields and in a magnetically ordered state. Significant softening of the electromagnon frequency is observed for external magnetic fields parallel to the a axis (Ba), revealing a number of similarities to a classical soft-mode behavior known for ferroelectric phase transitions. The softening of the electromagnon yields an increase in the static dielectric permittivity which follows a similar dependence as predicted by the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation. Within the geometry Bb the increase in the electromagnon intensity does not correspond to the softening of the eigenfrequency. In this case the increase in the static dielectric permittivity seems to be governed by the motion of the domain walls. © 2010 The American Physical Society.