Graphene with Structure-Induced Spin-Orbit Coupling: Spin-Polarized States, Spin Zero Modes, and Quantum Hall Effect

Spin splitting of the energy spectrum of single-layer graphene on Au/Ni(111) substrate has been recently reported. I show that eigenstates of spin-orbit coupled graphene are polarized in-plane and perpendicular to electron momentum $\bf k$; the magnitude of spin polarization $\bf S$ vanishes when $k \to 0$. In a perpendicular magnetic field $\bf B$, $\bf S$ is parallel to $\bf B$, and two zero modes emerge in the Landau level spectrum. Singular $\bf B$-dependence of their magnetization suggests existence of a novel magnetic instability. They also manifest themselves in a new unconventional quantum Hall effect.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Changing the Magnetic Configurations of Nanoclusters Atom-by-Atom

The Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green (KKR) function method for non-collinear magnetic structures was applied on Mn and Cr ad-clusters deposited on the Ni(111) surface. By considering various dimers, trimers and tetramers, a large amount of collinear and non-collinear magnetic structures is obtained. Typically all compact clusters have very small total moments, while the more open structures exhibit sizeable total moments, which is a result of the complex frustration mechanism in these systems. Thus, as the motion of a single adatom changes the cluster structure from compact to open and vice versa, this can be considered as a magnetic switch, which via the local exchange field of the adatom allows to switch the cluster moment on and off, and which might be useful for future nanosize information storage.Comment: 7 page

Field induced antiferromagnetism and 17^{17}O Knight shift anomaly in La2_2CuO4_4

We address the effect of the field induced antiferromagnetism in paramagnetic state of the cuprate weak ferromagnet La$_2$CuO$_4$. The planar oxygen $^{17}$O Knight shift is shown to be an effective tool to inspect the effects of Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya coupling in cuprates in an external magnetic field. Field induced antiferromagnetism and anisotropic antiferromagnetic contribution to $^{17}$K explain the anomalies observed in $^{17}$O NMR in La$_2$CuO$_4$. The experimental observation of antiferromagnetic contribution to the $^{17}$O Knight shift provides probably the only way to find out the problem of the sense of Dzyaloshinsky vector in cuprates.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, submitted to PR

Induced ferroelectric phases in TbMn_2O_5

The magnetostructural transitions and magnetoelectric effects reported in TbMn2O5 are described theoretically and shown to correspond to two essentially different mechanisms for the induced ferroelectricity. The incommensurate and commensurate phases observed between 38 and 24 K exhibit a hybrid pseudoproper ferroelectric nature resulting from an effective bilinear coupling of the polarization with the antiferromagnetic order parameter. This explains the high sensitivity of the dielectric properties of the material under applied magnetic field. Below 24 K the incommensurate phase shows a standard improper ferroelectric character induced by the coupling of two distinct magnetic order parameters. The complex dielectric behavior observed in the material reflects the crossover from one to the other transition regime. The temperature dependences of the pertinent physical quantities are worked out, and previous theoretical models are discussed

Tuning domain wall velocity with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

We have studied a series of Pt/Co/M epitaxial trilayers, in which Co is sandwiched between Pt and a non magnetic layer M (Pt, Ir, Cu, Al). Using polar magneto-optical Kerr microscopy, we show that the field- induced domain wall speeds are strongly dependent on the nature of the top layer, they increase going from M=Pt to lighter top metallic overlayers, and can reach several 100 m/s for Pt/Co/Al. The DW dynamics is consistent with the presence of chiral N\'eel walls stabilized by interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) whose strength increases going from Pt to Al top layers. This is explained by the presence of DMI with opposite sign at the Pt/Co and Co/M interfaces, the latter increasing in strength going towards heavier atoms, possibly due to the increasing spin-orbit interaction. This work shows that in non-centrosymmetric trilayers the domain wall dynamics can be finely tuned by engineering the DMI strength, in view of efficient devices for logic and spitronics applications.Comment: 5 pages, 4 Figure

Prediction for new magnetoelectric fluorides

We use symmetry considerations in order to predict new magnetoelectric fluorides. In addition to these magnetoelectric properties, we discuss among these fluorides the ones susceptible to present multiferroic properties. We emphasize that several materials present ferromagnetic properties. This ferromagnetism should enhance the interplay between magnetic and dielectric properties in these materials.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, To appear in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte

Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya antisymmetric exchange coupling in cuprates: Oxygen effects

We revisit a problem of Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya antisymmetric exchange coupling for a single bond in cuprates specifying the local spin-orbital contributions to Dzyaloshinsky vector focusing on the oxygen term. The Dzyaloshinsky vector and respective weak ferromagnetic moment is shown to be a superposition of comparable and, sometimes, competing local Cu and O contributions. The intermediate oxygen $^{17}$O Knight shift is shown to be an effective tool to inspect the effects of Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya coupling in an external magnetic field. We predict the effect of $strong$ oxygen weak antiferromagnetism in edge-shared CuO$_2$ chains due to uncompensated oxygen Dzyaloshinsky vectors. Finally, we revisit the effects of symmetric spin anisotropy, in particular, those directly induced by Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya coupling.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, submitted to JET

Phenomenological Landau analysis of predicted magnetoelectric fluorides: KMnFeF6_{6} and Ba2_{2}Ni7_{7}F18_{18}

Recently, we predicted based on symmetry considerations that KMnFeF$_{6}$ and Ba$_{2}$Ni$_{7}$F$_{18}$ are likely magnetoelectric multiferroic materials. In this contribution, we investigate with Landau theory and crystal structure considerations the polarization and the linear magnetoelectric effect in these materials. Based on these two examples, we show that any magnetoferroelectric will display additional electrical polarization below its magnetic ordering temperature. This additional electrical polarization is not related to the linear magnetoelectric effect. Its magnitude depends on the dielectric susceptibility.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte

Sr2V3O9 and Ba2V3O9: quasi one-dimensional spin-systems with an anomalous low temperature susceptibility

The magnetic behaviour of the low-dimensional Vanadium-oxides Sr2V3O9 and Ba2V3O9 was investigated by means of magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements. In both compounds, the results can be very well described by an S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain with an intrachain exchange of J = 82 K and J = 94 K in Sr2V3O9 and Ba2V3O9, respectively. In Sr2V3O9, antiferromagnetic ordering at T_N = 5.3 K indicate a weak interchain exchange of the order of J_perp ~ 2 K. In contrast, no evidence for magnetic order was found in Ba2V3O9 down to 0.5 K, pointing to an even smaller interchain coupling. In both compounds, we observe a pronounced Curie-like increase of the susceptibility below 30 K, which we tentatively attribute to a staggered field effect induced by the applied magnetic field. Results of LDA calculations support the quasi one-dimensional character and indicate that in Sr2V3O9, the magnetic chain is perpendicular to the structural one with the magnetic exchange being transferred through VO4 tetrahedra.Comment: Submitted to Phy. Rev.