Revealing the correlation between real-space structure and chiral magnetic order at the atomic scale

Hauptmann, Nadine; Dupé, Melanie; Hung, Tzu-Chao; Lemmens, Alexander K.; Wegner, Daniel; Dupé, Bertrand; Khajetoorians, Alexander A.

doi:10.1103/physrevb.97.100401

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Force-based detection of magnetic interactions presents numerous advantages over current-based detection. Most prominently, MExFM can address magnetic insulators [20,22], and it can be combined with simultaneous spin-polarized current detection (SPEX) [23] to disentangle the geometrical structure from electronic properties of magnetic structures [24,25]. Moreover, magnetic exchange force spectroscopy (MExFS) can directly quantify exchange forces [23,26], which combined with first-principles calculations allows for determining the interplay of various exchange mechanisms [27] as well as the role of chemical functionalization of the tip [28,29].…”

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confidence: 99%

Quantifying exchange forces of a spin spiral on the atomic scale

et al. 2020

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We quantify the atomic-scale variation of the magnetic exchange force field between a ferromagnetic tip and the cycloidal spin spiral of one monolayer Mn on the W(110) surface, by utilizing the combination of spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and magnetic exchange force microscopy (SPEX). Compared to the surprisingly weak spin polarization, the exchange force field is more sensitive to atomic-scale variations in the magnetization. First-principles calculations reveal that the measured atomic-scale variations in the exchange force originate from different contributions of direct and indirect (Zener) type exchange mechanisms, depending on the chemical tip termination. The weak spin polarization of the tunneling current results from pz states which dominate the local density of states around the Fermi energy. Our work provides the first characterization of the exchange force field together with the spin polarization of a spin spiral and opens the perspective of quantifying different exchange mechanisms of chiral magnetic structures with atomic-scale precision.

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Quantifying exchange forces of a spin spiral on the atomic scale

et al. 2020

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“…This result is confirmed by supercell calculations. 26 We recently found that at specific growth conditions even more complex bcc-like superstructures resulting in zigzag patterns may be thermodynamically stable. 26…”

Section: Kinetic Stability Of the Bcc-like Stackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…24 If two monolayers of Fe are deposited on Ir (111), the growth is not epitaxial anymore but results in a complex reconstruction leading to a mixture of fcc, hcp and bcc-stacking of the second Fe-layer characterized by a certain pattern of reconstruction lines. 25,26 These reconstruction lines play a prominent role in the triple layer of Fe on Ir (111) for the writing and deleting of skyrmions by applying an electric field. 27 In this system, the surface reconstruction stabilizes skyrmions with an oval shape, which was attributed to an environment anisotropy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We base our DFT calculations on the experimental observations of certain structural phases. 25,26 First, a arXiv:1806.11339v1 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci] 29 Jun 2018 pseudomorphically strained double-layer with fcc-stacking of the surface Fe-layer was identified, which exhibits spin spirals of short periodicity of about 1.2 nm without a preferred propagation direction, indicated by a grainy contrast in the spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) images. These areas seem to be prone to defects such as vacancies and substitutional atoms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stability and magnetic properties of Fe double layers on Ir (111)

et al. 2018

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We investigate the interplay between the structural reconstruction and the magnetic properties of Fe doublelayers on Ir (111)-substrate using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory and mapping of the total energies on an atomistic spin model. We show that, if a second Fe monolayer is deposited on Fe/Ir (111), the stacking may change from hexagonal close-packed to bcc (110)-like accompanied by a reduction of symmetry from trigonal to centered rectangular. Although the bcc-like surface has a lower coordination, we find that this is the structural ground state. This reconstruction has a major impact on the magnetic structure. We investigate in detail the changes in the magnetic exchange interaction, the magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and the Dzyaloshinskii Moriya interaction depending on the stacking sequence of the Fe double-layer. Based on our findings, we suggest a new technique to engineer Dzyaloshinskii Moriya interactions in multilayer systems employing symmetry considerations. The resulting anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions may stabilize higher-order skyrmions or antiskyrmions.

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“…We address initially the two-dimensional Bloch spectral function of fcc-Pd/Fe/Ir(111) surface and discuss the nature of the different unoccupied states showing high intensity at G, the center of the two-dimensional Brillouin zone. By investigating the case of bare fcc-Fe/Ir(111) surface, which was shown to host a lattice of skyrmions in its ground state [32,33], and considering thicker Pd films deposited on that surface, we aim at distinguishing the states stemming from Pd. Our conclusions are summarized in the last section.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unoccupied surface and interface states in Pd thin films deposited on Fe/Ir(111) surface

et al. 2019

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We present a systematic first-principles study of the electronic surface states and resonances occuring in thin films of Pd of various thicknesses deposited on a single ferromagnetic monolayer (ML) of Fe on top of Ir(111) substrate. This system is of interest since one Pd layer deposited on Fe/Ir(111) hosts small magnetic skyrmions. The latter are topological magnetic objects with swirling spin-textures with possible implications in the context of spintronic devices since they have the potential to be used as magnetic bits for information technology. The stabilization, detection and manipulation of such noncollinear magnetic entities require a quantitative investigation and a fundamental understanding of their electronic structure. Here we investigate the nature of the unoccupied electronic states in Pd/Fe/ Ir(111), which are essential in the large spin-mixing magnetoresistance signature captured using non spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (Crum et al 2015 Nat. Commun. 6 8541, Hanneken et al 2015 Nat. Nanotechnol. 10 1039). To provide a complete analysis, we investigate bare Fe/Ir(111) and Pd n=2,7 /Fe/Ir(111) surfaces. Our results demonstrate the emergence of surface and interface states after deposition of Pd MLs, which are strongly impacted by the large spin-orbit coupling of Ir surface.

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Revealing the correlation between real-space structure and chiral magnetic order at the atomic scale

Cited by 8 publications

References 40 publications

Quantifying exchange forces of a spin spiral on the atomic scale

Quantifying exchange forces of a spin spiral on the atomic scale

Stability and magnetic properties of Fe double layers on Ir (111)

Unoccupied surface and interface states in Pd thin films deposited on Fe/Ir(111) surface

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