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    Type-II Antiferroelectricity

    Yang Wang1,2, Zhi-Ming Yu1,2,*, Chaoxi Cui1,2, Yilin Han1,2, Tingli He1,2, Weikang Wu3, Run-Wu Zhang1,2,†, Shengyuan A. Yang4,‡, and Yugui Yao1,2,§

    • 1Key Lab of Advanced Optoelectronic Quantum Architecture and Measurement (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Quantum Matter State Control and Ultra-Precision Measurement Technology, and School of Physics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
    • 2International Center for Quantum Materials, Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai 519000, China
    • 3Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
    • 4Research Laboratory for Quantum Materials, Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    • *Contact author: zhiming_yu@bit.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: zhangrunwu@bit.edu.cn
    • ‡Contact author: shengyuan.yang@polyu.edu.hk
    • §Contact author: ygyao@bit.edu.cn

    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, Cr2O3, MgMnO3, monolayer MoICl2 and bilayer CrI3, 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.

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