Magnetic and structural phase transitions in YMn2O5 ferromagnetoelectric crystals induced by a strong magnetic field

Magnetic, magnetoelectric, and magnetoelastic properties of YMn2O5 ferromagnetoelectric single-crystals are investigated in strong pulsed magnetic fields of up to 250 kOe and in static magnetic fields of up to 12 kOe. It is found that, in YMn2O5 at T < T-N = 42 K, a transverse weakly ferromagnetic moment of sigma(0) = 0.8 G cm(3) / g exists that is oriented along axis a and is attributed to the magnetoelectric interaction. When a magnetic field is directed along axis b, which is likely to be the axis of antiferromagnetism, a spin- flop transition is observed that is accompanied by jumps in magnetostriction and electric polarization. When a magnetic field is directed along axis a, the temperature of ferroelectric transition shifts from 20 to 25 K at H approximate to 200 kOe. A theoretical analysis of the experimental results is given within phenomenological theory with regard to the fact that a YMn2O5 compound belongs to noncollinear antiferromagnetic crystals even in the exchange approximation. (C) 2003 MAIK " Nauka/ Interperiodica".