Giant Spontaneous Magnetostriction in MnTe Driven by a Novel Magnetostructural Coupling Mechanism

Abstract A comprehensive x‐ray scattering study of spontaneous magnetostriction in hexagonal MnTe, an antiferromagnetic semiconductor with a Néel temperature T N = 307 K, is presented. The largest magnetovolume effect known for antiferromagnet observed, reaching volume contraction |Δ V / | > 7 × 10 −3 . This can be justified semiquantitatively by considering bulk material properties, the spatial dependence superexchange interaction, and geometrical arrangement magnetic moments MnTe. highly unusual linear scaling short‐range correlations, beginning paramagnetic state well above , points to novel physical mechanism, which explained terms trilinear coupling elastic strain superposed distinct domains order parameter. mechanism lattice robust casts new light on magnetostrictive phenomena also provides template exceptional properties MnTe might realized wide range other functional materials.