TY  - JOUR
AU  - Schmitt, Martin
AU  - Moras, Paolo
AU  - Bihlmayer, Gustav
AU  - Cotsakis, Ryan
AU  - Vogt, Matthias
AU  - Kemmer, Jeannette
AU  - Belabbes, Abderrezak
AU  - Sheverdyaeva, Polina M.
AU  - Kundu, Asish K.
AU  - Carbone, Carlo
AU  - Blügel, Stefan
AU  - Bode, Matthias
TI  - Indirect chiral magnetic exchange through Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya-enhanced RKKY interactions in manganese oxide chains on Ir(100)
JO  - Nature Communications
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
SN  - 2041-1723
CY  - [London]
PB  - Nature Publishing Group UK
M1  - FZJ-2019-03383
SP  - 2610
PY  - 2019
AB  - 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. 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. 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.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - pmid:31197169
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000471227300013
DO  - DOI:10.1038/s41467-019-10515-3
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/863296
ER  -