Multipolar multiferroics in $4d^2$/$5d^2$ Mott insulators

We extend the concept of conventional multiferroicity \ – where ferroelectric and ferromagnetic orders coexist \ – to include multipolar degrees of freedom. Specifically, we explore how this phenomenon emerges in $4d^2\mathrm{/}5d^2$ Mott insulators with strong spin-orbit and Hund’s couplings. Our study uncovers the origin of magnetic multipolar interactions in these systems and demonstrates that a combination of quadrupolar and octupolar magnetic order can simultaneously induce both electrical quadrupolar moments and ferroelectric polarization. By expanding the multiferroic framework to higher-order multipoles, we reveal the possibility of coexisting multipolar orders of different or same ranks, paving the way for new functional properties in a large class of strongly correlated materials.