Hidden order in hexagonal RMnO3 multiferroics

Abstract

Hexagonal RMnO3 manganites are improper ferroelectrics in which the electric polarization is a by-product of the tripling of the unit cell. In YMnO3, there is a second transition at ~ 920K whose nature remains unexplained. We argue that this transition can be seen as a sort of hidden order in which a residual symmetry displayed by the trimerization order parameter is spontaneously broken. This additional order gives rise to twelve structural domains instead of six, and structural domain boundaries that can be either ferroelectric or non-ferroelectric domain walls.

5 pages, 5 figures

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Aperiodic topological order in the domain configurations of functional materials
• Charged domain walls in improper ferroelectric hexagonal manganites and gallates
• Unconventional order-disorder phase transition in improper ferroelectric hexagonal manganites
• Unveiling the room temperature magnetoelectricity of troilite FeS
• Dimensionality-induced change in topological order in multiferroic oxide superlattices
• Magnetization, specific heat, and thermal conductivity of hexagonal ErMnO${}_3$ single crystals
• h-ErMnO3 absorbance, reflectivity and, emissivity in the THz to mid-infrared from 2 K to 1700 K: carrier screening, Fröhlich resonance, small polarons, and bipolarons
• Topological thermalization via vortex formation in ultra-fast quenches