Electric Toroidal Quadrupoles in Spin-Orbit Coupled Metal Cd${}_2$Re${}_2$O${}_7$

Abstract

We report our theoretical results on the order parameters for the pyrochlore metal Cd${}_2$Re${}_2$O${}_7$, which undergoes enigmatic phase transitions with inversion symmetry breaking. By carefully examining active electronic degrees of freedom based on the lattice symmetry, we propose that two parity-breaking phases at ambient pressure are described by unconventional multipoles, electric toroidal quadrupoles (ETQs) with different components, $x^2-y^2$ and $3z^2-r^2$, in the pyrochlore tetrahedral unit. We elucidate that the ETQs are activated by bond or spin-current order on Re-Re bonds. Our ETQ scenario provides a key to reconcile the experimental contradictions, by measuring ETQ specific phenomena, such as peculiar spin splittings in the electronic band structure, magneto-current effect, and nonreciprocal transport under a magnetic field.

8 pages, 2 figures