Chiral multiferroicity in two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites

Abstract

Abstract Chiral multiferroics offer remarkable capabilities for controlling quantum devices at multiple levels. However, these materials are rare due to the competing requirements of long-range orders and strict symmetry constraints. In this study, we present experimental evidence that the coexistence of ferroelectric, magnetic orders, and crystallographic chirality is achievable in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites [(R/S)-β-methylphenethylamine]2CuCl4. By employing Landau symmetry mode analysis, we investigate the interplay between chirality and ferroic orders and propose a novel mechanism for chirality transfer in hybrid systems. This mechanism involves the coupling of non-chiral distortions, characterized by defining a pseudo-scalar quantity, $$\xi={{{{{\bf{p}}}}}}{{\cdot }}{{{{{\bf{r}}}}}}$$ ξ = p ⋅ r ( $${{{{{\bf{p}}}}}}$$ p represents the ferroelectric displacement vector and $${{{{{\bf{r}}}}}}$$ r denotes the ferro-rotational vector), which distinguishes between (R)- and (S)-chirality based on its sign. Moreover, the reversal of this descriptor’s sign can be associated with coordinated transitions in ferroelectric distortions, Jahn-Teller antiferro-distortions, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya vectors, indicating the mediating role of crystallographic chirality in magnetoelectric correlations.