Effect of coupling with strain in multiferroics on phase diagrams and elastic anomalies

The Landau theory was applied to treat the phase diagrams for a multiferroic with two second order phase transitions taking into account the coupling of the primary order parameters with strain. Two order parameters are coupled biquadratically which corresponds to the magnetoelectric materials. The coupling with strain is assumed to be linear in strain and quadratic in order parameters. Three ordered phases are discussed. Analytic relationships were obtained for the phase transition temperatures and for elastic modulus changes through the phase transitions. Strong influence of the coupling with strain on the phase diagrams was shown.