Double-k phase of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya helimagnet Ba2CuGe2O7

Neutron diffraction is used to re-investigate the magnetic phase diagram of the noncentrosymmetric tetragonal antiferromagnet Ba2CuGe2O7. A novel incommensurate double-k magnetic phase is detected near the commensurate-incommensurate phase transition. This phase is stable only for magnetic field closely aligned with the 4-fold symmetry axis. The results emphasize the inadequacy of existing theoretical models for this unique material, and points to additional terms in the Hamiltonian or lattice effects.