Is Pr_{1-x}Ca_xMnO_3 a ferroelectric of new mechanism?

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether Pr_{1-x}Ca_xMnO_3 exhibits ferroelectricity due to cation displacement, challenging the idea that its charge-ordering pattern leads to ferroelectricity through a new mechanism.

Contribution

The study proposes that the ferroelectricity in Pr_{1-x}Ca_xMnO_3 arises from cation displacement, offering an alternative explanation to the previously suggested charge-ordering mechanism.

Findings

Ferroelectricity in Pr_{1-x}Ca_xMnO_3 likely originates from cation displacement.

Charge-ordering pattern alone may not account for ferroelectric behavior.

The proposed mechanism aligns with known ferroelectric systems.

Abstract

A new type of charge-ordering pattern for Pr1-xCaxMnO3: a hybridization of site- and bond-centred ordering (SBCO) was proposed by Efremov et al.. It was believed this discovery opened a new route to magnetic ferroelectrics. Here we argue that the possible ferroelectric of Pr1-xCaxMnO3 also originates from the cation displacement, similar to prototypical ferroelectric system.