A multiferroic material to search for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron

Nat Mater. 2010 Aug;9(8):649-54. doi: 10.1038/nmat2799. Epub 2010 Jul 18.

Abstract

We describe the first-principles design and subsequent synthesis of a new material with the specific functionalities required for a solid-state-based search for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron. We show computationally that perovskite-structure europium barium titanate should exhibit the required large and pressure-dependent ferroelectric polarization, local magnetic moments and absence of magnetic ordering at liquid-helium temperature. Subsequent synthesis and characterization of Eu(0.5)Ba(0.5)TiO(3) ceramics confirm the predicted desirable properties.