Coupling of Magnetic and Elastic Domains in the Organic-Inorganic Layered Perovskite-Like (C6 H5 C2 H4 NH3 )2 FeII Cl4 Crystal.

Multiferroic materials coupling ferroelasticity and ferromagnetism show strong magnetoelastic effects as magnetization is induced by mechanical stress or alternately strain induced by applying a magnetic field. These effects were reported for inorganic multiferroics such as LaCox Sr1-x O3 . (C6 H5 C2 H4 NH3 )2 FeII Cl4 is the first example of an organic-inorganic perovskite to exhibit such effects below the canted antiferromagnetism at TC =98 K and ferroelasticity at TC =433 K. This is shown by switching the magnetic hysteresis on and off by uniaxial pressure through the strong coupling of the magnetic and elastic domains. The spin-canting direction was controlled by mechanical stress in the heating and cooling cycles. This unique observation gives additional impetus in the search for coupled hysteretic effect in organic-inorganic multiferroics.