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arXiv · 1906.07703

Indirect Chiral Magnetic Exchange through Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya--Enhanced RKKY Interactions in Manganese Oxide Chains on Ir(100)

Martin Schmitt·Paolo Moras·Gustav Bihlmayer·Ryan Cotsakis·Matthias Vogt·Jeannette Kemmer·Abderrezak Belabbes·Polina M. Sheverdyaeva·Asish K. Kundu·Carlo Carbone·Stefan Blügel·Matthias Bode
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Abstract

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. Here we present a combined spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy, angle-resolved photoemission, and density functional theory study of MnO$_2$ 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 $120^{\circ}$ rotation between adjacent MnO$_2$ chains. Calculations reveal that the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction results in spin spirals with a periodicity in agreement with experiment. Our findings confirm the existence of indirect chiral magnetic exchange, potentially giving rise to exotic phenomena, such as chiral spin-liquid states in spin ice systems or the emergence of new quasiparticles.

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Martin Schmitt, Paolo Moras, Gustav Bihlmayer, Ryan Cotsakis, Matthias Vogt, Jeannette Kemmer, Abderrezak Belabbes, Polina M. Sheverdyaeva, Asish K. Kundu, Carlo Carbone, Stefan Blügel, Matthias Bode. 2019-06-18. Indirect Chiral Magnetic Exchange through Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya--Enhanced RKKY Interactions in Manganese Oxide Chains on Ir(100). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10515-3

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