Short range ferromagnetic, magneto-electric, and magneto-dielectric effect in ceramic Co₃TeO₆

We report observation of magneto-electric and magneto-dielectric couplings along with short range ferromagnetic order in ceramic Cobalt Tellurate (Co₃TeO₆, CTO) using magnetic, structural, dielectric, pyroelectric, and polarization studies. DC magnetization along with dielectric constant measurements indicate a coupling between magnetic order and electrical polarization. A strong anomaly in the dielectric constant at ∼17.4 K in zero magnetic field indicates spontaneous electric polarization, consistent with a recent neutron diffraction study. Observation of weak short range ferromagnetic order at lower temperatures is attributed to the Griffiths-like ferromagnetism. Furthermore, magnetic field dependence of the ferroelectric transition follows earlier theoretical predictions, applicable to single crystal CTO. Finally, combined dielectric, pyroelectric, and polarization measurements suggest that the ground state of CTO may possess spontaneous symmetry breaking in the absence of magnetic field