Dielectric properties of complex magnetic field induced states in PbCuSO4(OH)2

Abstract

Spin spirals, which coexist with collinear spin order in linarite PbCuSO4(OH)2, indicate electrical polarisation textures of spin-multipolar phases. We derive experimental evidence by a detailed investigation of the magnetic-field dependent dielectric and electric polarization properties at low temperatures. Linarite exhibits a quasi-one-dimensional frustrated S = spin chain, which forms 3D spin-spiral order in zero magnetic field for T < 2.85 K. Recently, due to the monoclinic lattice of linarite with CuO2 ribbon chains, complex magnetic field induced states were found. These spin-multipolar phases, which compete with spin-density waves at low magnetic fields, exist in close vicinity to the transition from the spin spiral into field induced spin polarized state. Via antisymmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction spin-driven ferroelectricity develops in the spin-spirals state. Via electric polarization measurements this allows to prove the transitions into complex magnetic field induced phases. Thorough analyses of the temperature and magnetic field dependent dielectric properties of a naturally grown single crystalline sample provide a detailed (T,H) phase diagrams for the three different crystallographic directions.