Characterizing magnetoelectric coupling in epsilon-Fe2O3

Magnetoelectrics are appealing for applications because of the potential to control a magnetic state with an electric field and vice versa. Epsilon-Fe2O3 is the only known single-phase material that is a ferrimagnetic magnetoelectric at room temperature. However, because epsilon-Fe2O3 is incredibly difficult to produce, it has yet to be implemented in technology. By understanding the physics behind the magnetic and electric responses of epsilon-Fe2O3, new materials with similar properties could ben engineered. In this experiment we propose to characterize the magnetoelectric coupling in epsilon-Fe2O3 by measuring RIXS-MCD maps of a thin film in applied electric and magnetic fields.