ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal
This is a page describing data taken during an experiment at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. Information about the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source can be found at https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk.
Pressure-enhanced improper ferroelectricity in 4H-SrMnO3
Abstract: The discovery of hybrid-improper ferroelectricity in layered perovskite materials has prompted a wider search for new ferroelectric mechanisms. Such mechanisms are relatively well established in conventional perovskites and layered perovskites, but they have yet to be established in more complex material systems. Recently, we have taken an interest in simple polytypes of the perovskite structure to study the possibility of inducing ferroelectricity in these materials. This interest is informed by our discovery of a series of rigid-unit modes capable of inducing improper ferroelectricity in these systems. We have taken particular interest in the four-layer hexagonal (4H) polytype of SrMnO3 - here, we have predicted a simple tilting of the Mn2O9 bioctahedra may unlock an out-of-plane polarisation, a possibility which is supported by our high-resolution synchrotron diffraction measurements. We have identified a simple coupling term in the Landau free energy between the magnitude of the Mn2O9 tilts and the polarisation, suggesting the latter can be enhanced via the application of hydrostatic pressure. We now seek to verify this hypothesis by performing an in-situ high-pressure neutron diffraction experiment on Pearl. This will allow us to probe the nature of the coupling between the tilts and the polarisation, demonstrating a promising strategy to optimise the polarisation response of this material for device applications.
Principal Investigator: Dr Struan Simpson
Experimenter: Dr Cameron Wilson
Local Contact: Dr Nicholas Funnell
Experimenter: Dr Mark Senn
DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610201
ISIS Experiment Number: RB2610201
| Part DOI | Instrument | Public release date | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610201-1 | PEARL | 02 June 2029 | Download |
Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation
The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research
publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher],
[doi]
For Example:
Dr Struan Simpson et al; (2026): Pressure-enhanced improper ferroelectricity in 4H-SrMnO3, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610201
Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.
