Magnetodielectric Relaxation in Ho{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Dy{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} Spin Ice
Materials having magnetoelectricity is one of the highest priority research topics for the development of novel multifunctional materials. Recently, Ho{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Dy{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} pyrochlores show the coexistence of ferroelectricity with complex magnetism. The present study shows that these spin ices show an anomalous nature of relaxation taking place at ~ 4 K. Arrhenius nature of frequency dispersion behavior and order of characteristic relaxation time τ{sub 0} suggest that observed relaxation is associated with non-interacting electric dipoles induced by lattice distortions. These lattice distortions are associated with prevailing 3in-1out spin structure via magnetostriction mechanism, thus enabling the control of ferroelectricity though magnetism.