Dielectric Evidence for Possible Type-II Multiferroicity in alpha-RuCl3

Abstract

$\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ is a Mott insulator with a honeycomb lattice with strong spin-orbit coupling. We report dielectric measurements on $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ single crystals under field. At zero field, the dielectric constant, $\epsilon$, drops rapidly when cooled through the magnetic transition temperature T${}_N$. With increasing field, the onset of the drop in $\epsilon$ tracks the T${}_N$. Such behavior is absent with field above a critical value H${}_c$ ~ 7.5 T, indicating the onset of a quantum phase transition. Our data suggest that the dielectric constant can be used as a probe of magnetic ordering in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$, and $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ is a possible type-II multiferroics.