No Arabic abstract
Using a combination of density functional theory and dynamical mean field theory we show that electric polarization and magnetism are strongly intertwined in (TMTTF)$_2$-$X$ (X$=$PF$_6$, As$F_6$, and SbF$_6$) organic crystals and they originate from short-range Coulomb interactions. Electronic correlations induce a charge-ordered state which, combined with the molecular dimerization, gives rise to a finite electronic polarization and to a ferroelectric state. We predict that the value of the electronic polarization is enhanced by the onset of antiferromagnetism showing a sizable magnetoelectric leading to a multiferroic behavior of (TMTTF)$_2$-$X$ compounds.
Using a combination of Density Functional Theory, mean-field analysis and exact diagonalization calculations we reveal the emergence of a dimerized charge ordered state in TMTTF$_2$-PF$_6$ organic crystal. The interplay between charge and spin order leads to a rich phase diagram. Coexistence of charge ordering with a structural dimerization results in a ferroelectric phase, which has been observed experimentally. The tendency to the dimerization is magnetically driven revealing TMTTF$_2$-PF$_6$ as a multiferroic material.
Charge-ordering phenomena have been highly topical over the last few years. A phase transition towards a charge ordered state has been observed experimentally in several classes of materials. Among them, many studies have been devoted to the family of quasi-one dimensional organic charge-transfer salts (TMTTF)$_2$X, where (TMTTF) stands for tetramethyltetrathiafulvalene and X for a monovalent anion (X = PF$_6$, AsF$_6$ and SbF$_6$). However, the relationship between the electron localization phenomena and the role of the lattice distortion in stabilizing the charge-ordering pattern is poorly documented in the literature. Here we present a brief overview of selected literature results with emphasis placed on recent thermal expansion experiments probing the charge-ordering transition of these salts.
The quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors (TMTTF)$_2X$ with non-centrosymmetric anions commonly undergo charge- and anion-order transitions upon cooling. While for compounds with tetrahedral anions ($X$ = BF$_4^-$, ReO$_4^-$, and ClO$_4^-$) the charge-ordered phase is rather well understood, the situation is less clear in the case of planar triangular anions, such as (TMTTF)$_2$NO$_3$. Here we explore the electronic and structural transitions by transport experiments, optical and magnetic spectroscopy. This way we analyze the temperature dependence of the charge imbalance 2$delta$ and an activated behavior of $rho(T)$ with $Delta_{rm CO}approx 530$~K below $T_{rm CO} = 250$~K. Since (TMTTF)$_2$NO$_3$ follows the universal relation between charge imbalance 2$delta$ and size of the gap $Delta_{rm CO}$, our findings suggest that charge order is determined by TMTTF stacks with little influence of the anions. Clear signatures of anion ordering are detected at $T_{rm AO}=50$~K. The tetramerization affects the dc transport, the vibrational features of donors and acceptors, and leads to formation of spin singlets.
We report results of high-resolution measurements of the emph{c$^*$}-axis expansivity ($alpha_{c^{*}}$) at the charge-ordering (CO) transition for the quasi-1D (TMTTF)$_{2}$X compounds with X = SbF$_6$ and Br and make a comparison with previous results for the X = PF$_6$ and AsF$_6$ salts. For X = SbF$_6$, due to the screening of the long-range Coulomb forces, a sharp $lambda$-type anomaly is observed at $T_{CO}$, which contrasts with the step-like mean-field anomaly at $T_{CO}$ for PF$_6$ and AsF$_6$, where CO occurs in the Mott-Hubbard charge-localized regime. For the latter two salts, a negative contribution to $alpha_{c^{*}}$ is observed above $T_{CO}$. This feature is assigned to the anions rigid-unit modes, which become inactive for $T$ $<$ $T_{CO}$. Our $alpha_{c^{*}}$ results for the X = Br salt, where such rigid-unit modes are absent, reveal no traces of such negative contribution, confirming the model based on the anions rigid-unit modes for the X = PF$_6$ and AsF$_6$ salts.
High-resolution thermal expansion measurements have been performed for exploring the mysterious structureless transition in (TMTTF)$_{2}$X (X = PF$_{6}$ and AsF$_{6}$), where charge ordering at $T_{CO}$ coincides with the onset of ferroelectric order. Particularly distinct lattice effects are found at $T_{CO}$ in the uniaxial expansivity along the interstack $textbf{textit{c*}}$-direction. We propose a scheme involving a charge modulation along the TMTTF stacks and its coupling to displacements of the counteranions X$^{-}$. These anion shifts, which lift the inversion symmetry enabling ferroelectric order to develop, determine the 3D charge pattern without ambiguity. Evidence is found for another anomaly for both materials at $T_{int}$ $simeq$ 0.6 $cdot$ $T_{CO}$ indicative of a phase transition related to the charge ordering.