Indirect chiral magnetic exchange through Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya-enhanced RKKY interactions in manganese oxide chains on Ir(100)

Localized electron spins can couple magnetically via the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction even if their wave functions lack direct overlap. Theory predicts that spin–orbit scattering leads to a Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya type enhancement of this indirect exchange interaction, giving rise to chiral exchange terms. 
M. Schmitt et al., Nat. Comm. 10, 2610 (2019)

Here we present a combined spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy, angle-resolved photoemission, and density functional theory study of MnO2 chains on Ir(100).

Whereas we find antiferromagnetic Mn–Mn coupling along the chain, the inter-chain coupling across the non-magnetic Ir substrate turns out to be chiral with a 120° rotation between adjacent MnO2 chains. 

 
Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 May 2022 14:47