Stacking faults in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ revealed by local electric polarization

Abstract

We present out-of-plane dielectric and magnetodielectric measurements of single crystallines $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ with various degrees of stack faults. A frequency dependent, but field independent, dielectric anomaly appears at $T_A(f=100\mathrm{kHz})\sim$ 4 K once both magnetic transitions at $T_{N1}\sim$ 7 K and $T_{N2}\sim$ 14 K set in. The observed dielectric anomaly is attributed to the emergency of possible local electric polarizations whose inversion symmetry is broken by inhomogeneously distributed stacking faults. A field-induced intermediate phase is only observed when a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the Ru-Ru bonds for samples with minimal stacking faults. Less pronounced in-plane anisotropy is found in samples with sizable contribution from stacking imperfections. Our findings suggest that dielectric measurement is a sensitive probe in detecting the structural and magnetic properties, which may be a promising tool especially in studying $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ thin film devices. Moreover, the stacking details of RuCl${}_3$ layers strongly affect the ground state both in the magnetic and electric channels. Such a fragile ground state against stacking faults needs to be overcome for realistic applications utilizing the magnetic and/or electric properties of Kitaev based physics in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$.

arXiv comment8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review B

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• Possible Intermediate Quantum Spin Liquid Phase in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ under High Magnetic Fields up to 100 T
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• Two-step growth of high-quality single crystals of the Kitaev magnet $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
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• Giant anisotropic magnetoresistance in few-layer α-RuCl3 tunnel junctions
• Nonequilibrium dynamics of $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ -- a time-resolved magneto-optical spectroscopy study
• Evidence for distortion-induced local electric polarization in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$
• Direct evidence for anisotropic magnetic interaction in $\alpha$-RuCl${}_3$ from polarized inelastic neutron scattering
• Magnetodielectric Properties in Two Dimensional Magnetic Insulators
• Susceptibility anisotropy and absence of ferroelectric order in the Kitaev spin liquid candidate Na${}_2$Co${}_2$TeO${}_6$