Duality of Topological Defects in Hexagonal Manganites

作者:Huang Fei Ting*; Wang Xueyun; Griffin Sinead M; Kumagai Yu; Gindele Oliver; Chu Ming Wen; Horibe Yoichi; Spaldin Nicola A; Cheong Sang Wook
来源:Physical Review Letters, 2014, 113(26): 267602.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.267602

摘要

We show that the spontaneous symmetry breaking in multiferroic hexagonal manganites can be chemically manipulated to yield two complementary ground states: the well-known ferroelectric P6(3) cm and an antipolar P (3) over barc phase. Both symmetry breakings yield topologically protected vortex defects, with the antipolar vortices dual to those of the ferroelectric. This duality stems from the existence of 12 possible angles of MnO5 tilting, and broad strain-free walls with low energy spontaneously emerge through an intermediate P3c1 state, providing a complete unified symmetry description.

  • 出版日期2014-12-30