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Low-temperature ferroelectric phase and magnetoelectric coupling in underdoped La<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:msub><mml:mrow /><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math>CuO<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:msub><mml:mrow /><mml:mrow><mml:mn>4</mml:mn><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mi>x</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:math>
We report the discovery of a ferroelectric ground state below 4.5 K in highly underdoped La_2CuO_(4+x) accompanied by slow charge dynamics which develop below T~40 K. An anisotropic magnetoelectric response has also been observed, indicating considerable spin-charge coupling in this lightly doped "parent" high temperature copper-oxide superconductor. The ferroelectric state …