Ferroelectricity and competing interactions in Ho-deficient non-stoichiometric orthorhombic HoMnO3

We investigate the consequences of the Ho-deficient non-stoichiometry in orthorhombic HoMnO3 in terms of microscopic mechanisms for ferroelectricity modulation. It is suggested that the Ho-deficiency (then Mn excess) results in Ho-vacancies and then Mn occupation of the Ho-site with increasing non-stoichiometry. The Ho-deficiency enhances the Mn-Mn symmetric exchange striction by suppressing the independent Ho-Ho interaction, and thus benefits to the induced Ho spin ordering against the independent Ho spin ordering. The symmetric Ho-Mn exchange striction is thus enhanced by this induced Ho spin ordering, leading to remarkably enhanced ferroelectric polarization as observed. This work presents an alternative scheme to modulate the multiferroicity in rare-earth manganites of strong 4f-3d coupling.