MAGNETOELECTRIC EFFECT IN ORTHORHOMBIC GD-2(MOO4)(3)

Dependences of the electric polarization upon the magnetic field in metastable orthorhombic ferroelectric ferroelastic paramagnetic beta'-phase of Gd-2(MoO4)(3) were measured in direct current magnetic fields up to 19T at temperatures from 5K to 300K. The electric polarization was measured along the [001] axis in magnetic field along the [100] and [010] axes. The largest values of changes of the electric polarization that were induced by the magnetic field were of the order of (10(-11) - 10(-12))Q/cm(2). A time dependence of the electric polarization at a constant field value was observed. Relatively large hysteresis on the field dependences of the electric polarization was observed at temperatures between liquid nitrogen and liquid helium. The dependences measured in magnetic fields directed along the [100] axis show jumps of the electric polarization in some cases. At liquid helium temperatures field dependences of the electric polarization show a tendency to the saturation. These are the first observations of the magnetoelectric effect in beta'-gadolinium molybdate.