Jahn-Teller distortions as a novel source of multiferroicity

Abstract

The Jahn-Teller effect is a fascinating and ubiquitous phenomenon in modern quantum physics and chemistry. We propose a class of oxides with melilite structure Ba${}_2$TGe${}_2$O${}_7$ (T=V,Ni) where Jahn-Teller distortions are the main responsibles for the appearance of electric polarization. At the hearth of the proposed mechanism lies the lack of inversion symmetry displayed by tetrahedrally coordinated transition-metal ions, which allows for the condensation of polar Jahn-Teller distortions, at odds with octahedral coordination typical of conventional ferroelectric oxides with perovskite structure. Since the noncentrosymmetric local environment of transition-metal ions also activates the proposed spin-dependent hybridization mechanism for magnetically-induced electric polarization, proper multiferroic phases with intrinsic magnetoelectric interaction could be realized in this class of low-symmetry materials.

References in corpus (5)

• Spin-polarization coupling in multiferroic transition-metal oxides
• Engineering multiferroism in CaMnO${}_3$
• Non-$d^0$ Mn-driven ferroelectricity in antiferromagnetic BaMnO${}_3$
• Multiferroic properties of an åkermanite Sr${}_2$CoSi${}_2$O${}_7$ single crystal in high magnetic fields
• Magnetic and dielectric properties of A2CoSi2O7 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba) crystals

Cited by in corpus (12)

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• On the multiferroic skyrmion-host GaV4S8
• Unusual Ferroelectricity Induced by the Jahn-Teller Effect: A Case Study on Lacunar Spinel Compounds
• Possible emergence of a skyrmion phase in ferroelectric GaMo${}_4$S${}_8$
• Cooperative cluster-Jahn-Teller effect as a possible route to antiferroelectricity
• Physical properties of a quasi-two-dimensional square lattice antiferromagnet Ba${}_2$FeSi${}_2$O${}_7$
• Terahertz Spin-Orbital Excitations in the paramagnetic state of multiferroic Sr${}_2$FeSi${}_2$O${}_7$
• Excitations and relaxation dynamics in multiferroic GeV4S8 studied by THz and dielectric spectroscopy
• Monitoring Vibrational Evolution in Jahn-Teller Effect by Raman Imaging
• Magnetoelectric effect arising from a field-induced pseudo Jahn-Teller distortion in a rare earth magnet
• Dielectric softening in the halide double perovskites $A_2$Au${}_2{X}_6$ ($A$: Cs, Rb; $X$: Cl, Br, I) via a strain-mediated pseudotriggered mechanism
• Field-induced electric polarization and elastic softening caused by parity-mixed $d$-$p$ hybridized states with electric multipoles in Ba${}_2$CuGe${}_2$O${}_7$