We report the characterisation of natural samples of the cubic pyrite mineral MnS2 using very high resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction techniques. At low temperatures we find a new low temperature polymorph, which results from coupling between magnetic and lattice degrees of freedom. Below the magnetic ordering temperature T_N= 48 K, we detect a pseudo-tetragonal distortion with a tiny c/a ratio of 1.0006. The structure can be refined in the space group Pbca. The symmetry lowering reduces magnetic frustration in the fcc Mn2+ lattice and is likely responsible for the previously reported lock-in of the magnetic propagation vector. This behaviour is similar to the frustration driven symmetry breaking reported in other three-dimensional Heisenberg magnets like the chromate spinels
@article{arxiv.1501.02129,
title = {Spin-driven symmetry breaking in the frustrated fcc magnet MnS2},
author = {Simon A. J. Kimber and Tapan Chatterji},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1501.02129},
year = {2015}
}