Frustrated Dipole Order Induces Noncollinear Proper Ferrielectricity in Two Dimensions

Abstract

Within Landau theory, magnetism and polarity are homotopic, displaying a one-to-one correspondence between most physical characteristics. However, despite widely reported noncollinear magnetism, spontaneous noncollinear electric dipole order as ground state is rare. Here a dioxydihalides family is predicted to display noncollinear ferrielectricity, induced by competing ferroelectric and antiferroelectric soft modes. This intrinsic noncollinearity of dipoles generates unique physical properties, such as $\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological domains, atomic-scale dipole vortices, and negative piezoelectricity.