Hidden k-Space Magnetoelectric Multipoles in Nonmagnetic Ferroelectrics

In condensed matter systems, the electronic degrees of freedom are often entangled to form complex composites, known as hidden orders, which give rise to unusual properties, while escaping detection in conventional experiments. Here we demonstrate the existence of hidden k-space magnetoelectric multipoles in nonmagnetic systems with broken space-inversion symmetry. These k-space magnetoelectric multipoles are reciprocal to the real-space charge dipoles associated with the broken inversion symmetry. Using the prototypical ferroelectric PbTiO3 as an example, we show that their origin is a spin asymmetry in momentum space resulting from the broken space inversion symmetry associated with the ferroelectric polarization. In PbTiO3, the k-space spin asymmetry corresponds to a pure k-space magnetoelectric toroidal moment, which can be detected using magnetic Compton scattering, an established tool for probing magnetism in ferromagnets or ferrimagnets with a net spin polarization, which has not been exploited to date for nonmagnetic systems. In particular, the k-space magnetoelectric toroidal moment combined with the spin-orbit interaction manifest in an antisymmetric magnetic Compton profile that can be reversed using an electric field. Our work suggests an experimental route to directly measuring and tuning hidden k-space magnetoelectric multipoles via specially designed magnetic Compton scattering measurements.