Type-II Antiferroelectricity
Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 106402 – Published 11 March, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/p3xh-f5bx
Abstract
Antiferroelectricity is a fundamental concept in physics and materials science. Conventional antiferroelectrics (AFEs) have the picture of alternating local electric dipoles defined in real space. Here, we discover a new class of AFEs, termed type-II AFEs, which possess opposite polarizations defined in momentum space across a pair of symmetry decoupled subspaces. Unlike conventional AFEs, the order parameter of type-II AFEs is rigorously formulated through Berry-phase theory and can be quantitatively extracted from the electronic band structure. Focusing on a subclass of type-II AFEs that preserve spin-rotation symmetry, we establish the relevant symmetry constraints and identify all compatible spin point groups. Remarkably, we find that type-II AFE order intrinsically coexists with antiferromagnetism, revealing a robust form of magnetoelectric coupling. We construct an altermagnetic model and identify several concrete antiferromagnetic and altermagnetic materials, such as FeS, , , monolayer and bilayer , that exhibit this novel ordering. Furthermore, we uncover unique physical phenomena associated with type-II spin-AFEs including spin current generation upon AFE switching and localized spin polarization at boundaries and domain walls. Our findings reveal a previously hidden class of quantum materials with intertwined ferroic orders, offering exciting opportunities for both fundamental exploration and technological applications.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Corrections
11 June, 2026
Correction: An incorrect version of Fig. 4 was used for publication and has now been replaced with the correct version.