Mesoscopic Helices of Polar Domains in a Quadruple Perovskite

Abstract: A significant effort in condensed matter physics is dedicated to the search for exotic arrangements of electric dipoles. Beyond collinear alignments of electric dipoles, more complex arrangements analogous to magnetic spin textures, such as polar vortices and skyrmions, have been realized. Here we report atomic-scale visualizations of a candidate for helical texture of electric dipoles, the lightly doped quadruple perovskite BiCu${x}$Mn${7-x}$O$_{12}$. Rather than forming a continuous incommensurate helical structure, this material exhibits a mesoscale ordering of ferroelastic and polar domains. Across domains, bismuth's polar displacement rotates discretely following a consistent handedness, giving rise to a mesoscale helical pattern. We observe both right-handed and left-handed chiralities associated with helical ordering. The mesoscopic helices of polar order observed in our work would provide an opportunity to realize emergent chiral-optical activity in ferroelectric crystals akin to supramolecular assemblies.