Substantial magnetoelectric coupling near room temperature in Bi2Fe4O9

We report remarkable multiferroic effects in polycrystalline Bi2Fe4O9. High-resolution x-ray diffraction shows that this compound has orthorhombic structure. Magnetic measurements confirm an antiferromagnetic transition around 260 K. A pronounced inverse S-shape anomaly in the loss tangent of dielectric measurement is observed near the Neel temperature. This feature shifts with the application of magnetic field. These anomalies are indicative of substantial coupling between the electric and magnetic orders in this compound.