Magnetoelectric coupling in the gapless NH4CuCl3

AbstractNH4CuCl3, a well-studied antiferromagnet best known for its gapless magnetization and unusual magnetization plateaus, is shown here to exhibit magnetoelectric behavior below the antiferromagnetic transition temperature of 1.3 K. This is based on magnetic field and temperature dependent capacitance measurements made at millikelvin temperatures, along with the appearance of spontaneous polarization and electric-field reversible pyroelectric current. The possession of both long-range magnetic and dielectric order, combined with magnetoelectric coupling, renders this material a rather unique Cu-based multiferroic and serves as a unique template for the design of such materials.