Topological defects in ordered states with spontaneously broken symmetry often have unusual physical properties, such as fractional electric charge or a quantized magnetic field flux, originating from their non-trivial topology. Coupled topological defects in systems with several coexisting orders give rise to unconventional functionalities, such as the electric-field control of magnetization in multiferroics resulting from the coupling between the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic domain walls. Hexagonal manganites provide an extra degree of freedom: in these materials, both ferroelectricity and magnetism are coupled to an additional, non-ferroelectric structural order parameter. Here we present a theoretical study of topological defects in hexagonal manganites based on Landau theory with parameters determined from first-principles calculations. We explain the observed flip of electric polarization at the boundaries of structural domains, the origin of the observed discrete vortices, and the clamping between ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic domain walls. We show that structural vortices induce magnetic ones and that, consistent with a recent experimental report, ferroelectric domain walls can carry a magnetic moment.

The crystal structure of layered metal IrTe 2 is determined using single-crystal x-ray diffraction. At T=220 K, it exhibits Ir and Te dimers forming a valence-bond crystal. Electronic structure calculations reveal an intriguing quasi-two-dimensional electronic state, with planes of reduced density of states cutting diagonally through the Ir and Te layers. These planes are formed by the Ir and Te dimers, which exhibit a signature of covalent bonding character development. Evidence for significant charge disproportionation among the dimerized and non-dimerized Ir (charge order) is also presented.

The manipulation of magnetic ordering with applied electric fields is of pressing interest for new magnetoelectric devices and information storage applications. Recently, such magnetoelectric control was realized in multiferroics. However, their magnetoelectric switching is often accompanied by significant hysteresis, resulting from a large barrier, separating different ferroic states. Hysteresis prevents robust switching, unless the applied field overcomes a certain value (coercive field). Here we address the role of a switching barrier on magnetoelectric control, and identify a material, collinear antiferromagnetic and pyroelectric Ni 3 TeO 6 , in which magnetoelectric switching occurs without hysteresis. The barrier between two magnetic states in the vicinity of a spin-flop transition is almost flat, and thus small changes in external electric/magnetic fields allow to switch the ferroic state through an intermediate state in a continuous manner, resulting in a colossal magnetoelectric response. This colossal magnetoelectric effect resembles the large piezoelectric effect at the morphotropic phase boundary in ferroelectrics.

Domain wall dynamics in hexagonal manganites are revealed by impedance microscopy and first-principles calculations.