Field-induced phase transitions and magnetoferroelectricity in the perfect triangular lattice antiferromagnet RbFe(MoO4)2 in a vertical magnetic field

Abstract

We performed electric polarization P, dielectric constant ϵ and magnetization M measurements on the perfect triangular-lattice antiferromagnet RbFe(MoO4)2 in high magnetic fields B applied along the c-axis. Whereas M(B) at T=1.5K monotonically increases with B up to the saturation at Bs=21T, P(B) disappears about 14T, far below the saturation point. In a field range 13≤B≤14T, the temperature variation of ϵ shows a double peak structure below 2.8K, indicating two successive transitions. These results strongly suggest the presence of a new high-field phase; the magnetic structure changes from a low-field conical state having chirality to a high-field coplanar non-collinear structure without chirality. The obtained phase diagram is in agreement with a theoretical prediction on XY-like Heisenberg spin triangular lattice antiferromagnets.