We performed elastic neutron scattering measurements on the charge- and magnetically-ordered multiferroic material LuFe(2)O(4). An external electric field along the [001] direction with strength up to 20 kV/cm applied at low temperature (~100 K) does
not affect either the charge or magnetic structure. At higher temperatures (~360 K), before the transition to three-dimensional charge-ordered state, the resistivity of the sample is low, and an electric current was applied instead. A reduction of the charge and magnetic peak intensities occurs when the sample is cooled under a constant electric current. However, after calibrating the real sample temperature using its own resistance-temperature curve, we show that the actual sample temperature is higher than the thermometer readings, and the intensity reduction is entirely due to internal sample heating by the applied current. Our results suggest that the charge and magnetic orders in LuFe(2)O(4) are unaffected by the application of external electric field/current, and previously observed electric field/current effects can be naturally explained by internal sample heating.
Using neutron diffraction, we have studied the magnetic field effect on charge structures in the charge-ordered multiferroic material LuFe$_2$O$_4$. An external magnetic field is able to change the magnitude and correlation lengths of the charge vale
nce order even before the magnetic order sets in. This affects the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the material and induces a giant magneto-electric effect. Our results suggest that the magneto-electric coupling in LuFe$_2$O$_4$ is likely due to magnetic field effect on local spins, in clear contrast to the case in most other known multiferroic systems where the bulk magnetic order is important.
