Multiferroic M-type hexaferrites with a room-temperature conical state and magnetically controllable spin helicity.

Magnetic and magnetoelectric (ME) properties have been studied for single crystals of Sc-doped M-type barium hexaferrites. Magnetization (M) and neutron diffraction measurements revealed that by tuning Sc concentration a longitudinal conical state is stabilized up to above room temperatures. ME measurements have shown that a transverse magnetic field (H) can induce electric polarization (P) at lower temperatures and that the spin helicity is nonvolatile and endurable up to near the conical magnetic transition temperature. It was also revealed that the response (reversal or retention) of the P vector upon the reversal of M varies with temperature. In turn, this feature allows us to control the relation between the spin helicity and the M vectors with H and temperature.