2021Physical Review B

Stacking faults in α−RuCl3 revealed by local electric polarization

Xinrun Mi, Xiao Wang, Hengrui Gui, Maocai Pi, Tingting Zheng, Kunya Yang, Yuhan Gan, Peipei Wang, Alei Li, Aifeng Wang, Liyuan Zhang, Yixi Su, Yisheng Chai, Mingquan He

Physical Review B · 103, 174413 (2021)

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DOI 10.1103/physrevb.103.174413

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Introduction

Dielectric measurements on α-RuCl₃ reveal local polarization associated with stacking faults. Samples with different degrees of stacking disorder also show different magnetic anisotropy and field-induced behavior.

A closer reading

Layer registry becomes a physical variable rather than a footnote about sample quality. Comparing field direction relative to Ru–Ru bonds, alongside the degree of disorder, helps explain why crystals of the same composition can behave differently.