Quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnetism and multiferroicity in CuCrO$_4$

TL;DR

This study investigates CuCrO$_4$, a quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet, revealing type-II multiferroicity below 8.2 K driven by competing intra-chain interactions and positioning near the Majumdar-Ghosh point.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive experimental and theoretical analysis of CuCrO$_4$'s magnetic and multiferroic properties, highlighting its proximity to the Majumdar-Ghosh point.

Findings

Type-II multiferroicity observed below 8.2 K

Intra-chain exchange ratio close to 2

CuCrO$_4$ near the Majumdar-Ghosh point

Abstract

The bulk magnetic properties of the new quasi-one-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet, CuCrO$_4$, were characterized by magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, optical spectroscopy, EPR and dielectric capacitance measurements and density functional evaluations of the intra- and interchain spin exchange interactions. We found type-II multiferroicity below the N\'{e}el temperature of 8.2(5) K, arising from competing antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor ($J_{\rm nn}$) and next-nearest-neighbor ($J_{\rm nnn}$) intra-chain spin exchange interactions. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that the ratio $J_{\rm nn}/J_{\rm nnn}$ is close to 2, putting CuCrO$_4$ in the vicinity of the Majumdar-Ghosh point.