No Arabic abstract
Low-dimensional ferroelectricity and Dirac materials with protected band crossings are fascinating research subjects. Based on first-principles calculations, we predict the coexistence of spontaneous in-plane polarization and novel 2D emergent fermions in dynamically stable quadruple-layer (QL) XSbO$_2$ (X= Li, Na). Depending on the different polarization configurations, QL-XSbO$_2$ can exhibit unconventional inner-QL ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity. Both ground states harbor robust ferroelectricity with enhanced spontaneous polarization of 0.56 nC/m and 0.39 nC/m for QL-LiSbO$_2$ and QL-NaSbO$_2$, respectively. Interestingly, the QL-LiSbO$_2$ possesses two other metastable ferroelectric (FE) phases, demonstrating the first 2D example with multiple FE orders. The ground FE phase can be flexibly driven into one of the two metastable FE phases and then into the antiferroelectric (AFE) phase. During this phase transition, several types of 2D fermions emerge, for instance, hourglass hybrid and type-II Weyl loops in the ground FE phase, type-II Weyl fermions in the metastable FE phase, and type-II Dirac fermions in the AFE phase. These 2D fermions are robust under spin-orbit coupling. Notably, two of these fermions, e.g., an hourglass hybrid or type-II Weyl loop, have not been observed before. Our findings identify QL-XSbO$_2$ as a unique platform for studying 2D ferroelectricity relating to 2D emergent fermions.
Correlation between dielectric and magnetic properties was investigated on the triangular lattice antiferromagnets ACrO2 (A= Cu, Ag, Li, or Na) showing 120-degree spiral spin structure with easy-axis anisotropy. For the A= Cu and Ag compounds with delafossite structure, ferroelectric polarization emerges upon the spiral spin order, implying the strong coupling between the ferroelectricity and spiral spin structure. On the other hand, for the A = Li and Na compounds with ordered rock salt structure, no polarization but only clear anomalies in dielectric constant can be observed upon the spiral spin order. The absence of polarization can be interpreted as the antiferroelectric state induced by the alternate stacking of Cr3+ layer with opposite spin vector chirality. These results imply that a vast range of trigonally stacked triangular-lattice systems with 120-degree spin structure can be multiferroic, irrespective of their magnetic anisotropy.
Superconductors and multiferroics are two of the hottest branches in condensed matter physics. The connections between those two fields are fundamentally meaningful to unify the physical rules of correlated electrons. Recently, BaFe$_2$Se$_3$, was predicted to be multiferroic [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 187204 (2014)] due to its unique one-dimensional block-type antiferromagnetism. Here, another iron-selenide KFe$_2$Se$_2$, a parent state of iron-based superconductor, is predicted to be multiferroic. Its two-dimensional block-type antiferromagnetism can generate a moderate electric dipole for each Fe-Se layer via the Fe-Se-Fe exchange striction. Different stacking configurations of these magnetic blocks give closely proximate energies and thus the ground state of KFe$_2$Se$_2$ may be switchable between antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phases.
Low dimensional ferroelectrics are highly desired for applications and full of exotic physics. Here a functionalized MXene Hf$_2$CF$_2$ monolayer is theoretically studied, which manifests a nonpolar to polar transition upon moderate biaxial compressive strain. Accompanying this structural transition, a metal-semiconductor transition occurs. The in-plane shift of unilateral fluorine layer leads to a polarization pointing out-of-plane. Such ferroelectricity is unconventional, similar to the recently-proposed interlayer-sliding ferroelectricity but not identical. Due to its specific hexapetalous potential energy profile, the possible ferroelectric switching paths and domain walls are nontrivial, which are mediated via the metallic paraelectric state. In this sense, the metallic walls can be manipulated by reshaping the ferroelectric domains.
We report an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of the iron-based superconductor family, Ba$_{1-x}$Na$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$. This system harbors the recently discovered double-Q magnetic order appearing in a reentrant C$_4$ phase deep within the underdoped regime of the phase diagram that is otherwise dominated by the coupled nematic phase and collinear antiferromagnetic order. From a detailed temperature-dependence study, we identify the electronic response to the nematic phase in an orbital-dependent band shift that strictly follows the rotational symmetry of the lattice and disappears when the system restores C$_4$ symmetry in the low temperature phase. In addition, we report the observation of a distinct electronic reconstruction that cannot be explained by the known electronic orders in the system.
We report on a density functional theory study demonstrating the coexistence of weak ferromagnetism and antiferroelectricity in boron-deficient MgB6. A boron vacancy produces an almost one dimensional extended molecular orbital, which is responsible for the magnetic moment formation. Then, long-range magnetic order can emerge from the overlap of such orbitals above percolation threshold. Although there is a finite density of states at the Fermi level, the localized nature of the charge density causes an inefficient electron screening. We find that the Mg ions can displace from the center of their cubic cage, thus generating electrical dipoles. In the ground state these order in an antiferroelectric configuration. If proved experimentally, this will be the first material without d or f electrons displaying the coexistence of magnetic and electric order.