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Spin-spiral inhomogeneity as the origin of ferroelectricity in orthorhombic manganites

We argue that the homogeneous distribution of spins in the spin-spiral state of orthorhombic manganites is deformed by the relativistic spin-orbit interaction. The thus induced spin-spiral inhomogeneity gives rise to the ferroelectric response of the purely electronic origin in even-periodic magnetic structures. The mechanism is generic and explains the appearance of ferroelectricity in the twofold periodic structure of HoMnO3 as well as the fourfold periodic structure of TbMnO3. Nevertheless, odd-periodic magnetic structures preserve the inversion symmetry and thus are not ferroelectric. Our analysis is based on the low-energy model derived from the first-principles electronic structure calculations and the Berry-phase formalism for the electronic polarization.