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    Magnetic structure of multiferroic hexagonal YMnO3

    Lea Forster1, Thomas Lottermoser1, Jian-Rui Soh2,3, Mads C. Weber1,4, and Manfred Fiebig1,*

    • *Contact author: manfred.fiebig@mat.ethz.ch

    Phys. Rev. B 113, 054422 – Published 12 February, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/n3q4-sjmq

    Abstract

    Hexagonal YMnO3 is an intensively studied representative of materials exhibiting the coexistence of magnetic and electric order, called multiferroicity. Nevertheless, a controversy about its antiferromagnetic order remains. Initial reports suggested space-group symmetry P63c′m′ with Mn3+ spins along the crystallographic y axis and antiparallel orientation of corresponding spins in adjacent xy planes. However, subsequent experiments increasingly supported P63′cm′ symmetry with spins aligned along the crystallographic x axis and parallel orientation of corresponding spins in adjacent xy planes. Despite accumulating evidence for this structure, a neutron polarimetry study revealed an order according to space-group symmetry P63′, where the Mn3+ spins are rotated by 11∘ from the x toward the y axis. Here we report experiments by optical second harmonic generation that point to P63′cm′ symmetry and no evidence for spin rotation within a noise-inflicted upper limit of ≲1∘. We suggest that the discrepancy could be resolved by an expansion of the configurations measured by neutron polarimetry and the use of samples with enlarged domains to prevent domain-wall-related contributions.

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