Spin-driven ferroelectricity in triangular lattice antiferromagnets ACrO2 (A=Cu, Ag, Li, or Na).

The correlation between the dielectric and magnetic properties is investigated on the triangular-lattice antiferromagnets ACrO2 (A=Cu, Ag, Li, or Na) with a 120-degree spiral structure. For the A=Cu and Ag compounds with a delafossite structure, the ferroelectric polarization emerges with a spiral-spin order, implying strong coupling between ferroelectricity and the spiral-spin structure. For the A=Li and Na compounds with an ordered rock salt structure, on the other hand, no spontaneous polarization is discerned, while the clear anomaly in the dielectric constant can be observed upon the transition to the spiral-spin ordered state. This feature can be ascribed to the possible antiferroelectric state induced by the alternate stacking of the Cr-spin sheet with opposite vector spin chirality.