Current-Induced Enhancement of Magnetic Anisotropy in Spin-Charge-Coupled Multiferroic YbFe2O4

We report the change in the magnetic properties of multiferroic YbFe2O4 caused by cooling in the presence of an electrical current. The magnetization measured after the cooling is ∼10–20% smaller than that after cooling without a current. The current also affects the magnetic anisotropy below ∼100 K; the magnetic coercivity is increased by ∼10–20%. These phenomena may arise from the coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic domains or a disturbance in the formation of charge-ordered domains. From the viewpoint of application, the enhancement of anisotropy by an electrical current provides a method for stabilizing magnetization other than the well-known method of exchange bias.