Electric-field induced ferromagnetic phase in paraelectric antiferromagnets

The phase diagram of a quantum paraelectric antiferromagnet EuTiO3 under an external electric field is calculated using Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory. The application of an electric field E in the absence of strain leads to the appearance of a ferromagnetic (FM) phase due to the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling. At an electric field greater than a critical field, E-cr, the antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase disappears for all considered temperatures, and FM becomes the only stable magnetic phase. The calculated value of the critical field is close to the values reported recently by Ryan et al. [Nat. Commun. 4, 1334 (2013)] for EuTiO3 film under a compressive strain. The FM phase can also be induced by an E-field in other paraelectric antiferromagnetic oxides with a positive AFM-type ME coupling coefficient and a negative FM-type ME coupling coefficient. The results show the possibility of controlling multiferroicity, including the FM and AFM phases, with help of an electric field application.