Spin-chirality-driven ferroelectricity on a perfect triangular lattice antiferromagnet

Magnetic field (B) variation of the electrical polarization P(c) (∥c) of the perfect triangular lattice antiferromagnet RbFe(MoO(4))(2) is examined up to the saturation point of the magnetization for B⊥c. P(c) is observed only in phases for which chirality is predicted in the in-plane magnetic struc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2014-10, Vol.113 (14), p.147202-147202, Article 147202
Main Authors: Mitamura, H, Watanuki, R, Kaneko, K, Onozaki, N, Amou, Y, Kittaka, S, Kobayashi, R, Shimura, Y, Yamamoto, I, Suzuki, K, Chi, S, Sakakibara, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antiferromagnetism
Chirality
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
Discontinuity
Ferroelectricity
Helicity
Lattices
Modulation
Phase diagrams
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Summary:Magnetic field (B) variation of the electrical polarization P(c) (∥c) of the perfect triangular lattice antiferromagnet RbFe(MoO(4))(2) is examined up to the saturation point of the magnetization for B⊥c. P(c) is observed only in phases for which chirality is predicted in the in-plane magnetic structures. No strong anomaly is observed in P(c) at the field at which the spin modulation along the c axis, and hence the spin helicity, exhibits a discontinuity to the commensurate state. These results indicate that the ferroelectricity in this compound originates predominantly from the spin chirality, the explanation of which would require a new mechanism for magnetoferroelectricity. The obtained field-temperature phase diagram of ferroelectricity agree well with those theoretically predicted for the spin chirality of a Heisenberg spin triangular lattice antiferromagnet.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.113.147202