Abstract
We observe and explain theoretically a dramatic evolution of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in the series of isostructural weak ferromagnets, , , , and . The sign of the interaction is encoded in the phase of the -ray magnetic diffraction amplitude, observed through interference with resonant quadrupole scattering. We find very good quantitative agreement with first-principles electronic structure calculations, reproducing both sign and magnitude through the series, and propose a simplified “toy model” to explain the change in sign with shell filling. The model gives insight into the evolution of the DMI in Mott and charge transfer insulators.
- Received 7 May 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.167201
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.
Published by the American Physical Society