Defect-induced magnetic symmetry breaking in oxide materials

Magnetic properties of crystalline solids are fundamental to a wide range of applications, capturing the attention of a vast scientific community. Thus, engineering magnetic order in materials such as ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism holds great scientific and technological interest. Defects such as vacancies, interstitials, and dopants induce local perturbations within the crystal lattice. These perturbations locally disturb the entire symmetry of crystals, resulting in symmetry breaking. Oxides, in particular, exhibit intriguing properties when subjected to defects, which can lead to significant modifications in their structural, electronic, and magnetic properties. Such defects in non-magnetic oxides can induce magnetic symmetry breaking, leading to the formation of emergent magnetic domains and orderings. In this review, we focus on the recent progress in magnetic breaking symmetries in materials via defect engineering and present our perspectives on how these may lead to new understanding and applications.