Designing Polar and Magnetic Oxides: Zn2FeTaO6 - in Search of Multiferroics

Polar oxides are technically of great interest but difficult to prepare. Our recent discoveries predicted that polar oxides can be synthesized in the corundum-derivative A(2)BB'O-6 family with unusually small cations at the A-site and a d(0) electron configuration ion at B'-site. When magnetic transition-metal ions are incorporated more interesting polar magnetic oxides can form. In this work we experimentally verified this prediction and prepared LiNbO3 (LN)-type polar magnetic Zn2FeTaO6 via high pressure and temperature synthesis. The crystal structure analysis indicates highly distorted ZnO6 and (Fe/Ta)O-6 octahedra, and an estimated spontaneous polarization (P-S) of similar to 50 mu C/cm(2) along the c-axis was obtained from point charge model calculations. Zn2Fe3+Ta5+O6 has a lower magnetic transition temperature (T-N similar to 22 K) than the Mn2FeTaO6 analogue but is less conductive. The dielectric and polarization measurements indicate a potentially switchable component.