Magnetic field control of ferroelectric polarization and magnetization of LiCu2O2 compound

A spin model of LiCu2O2 compound with ground state of ellipsoidal helical structure has been adopted. Taking into account the interchain coupling and exchange anisotropy, we focus on the magnetoelectric properties in a rotating magnetic field and perform the Monte Carlo simulation on a two-dimensional lattice. A prominent anisotropic response is observed in the magnetization and polarization curves, qualitatively coinciding with the behaviors that detected in the experiment. In addition, the influences of the magnetic field with various magnitudes are also explored and analyzed in detail. As the magnetic field increases, a much smoother polarization of angle dependence is exhibited, indicating the strong correlation between the magnetic and ferroelectric orders.