Discovery of Magnetic Single- and Triple-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathvariant="bold">q</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math> States in <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>Mn</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mo>/</mml:mo><mml:mi>Re</mml:mi><mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo><mml:mn>0001</mml:mn><mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mrow></mml:math>
Jonas Spethmann, S. Meyer, Kirsten von Bergmann, R. Wiesendanger, Stefan Heinze, André Kubetzka
Abstract
We experimentally verify the existence of two model-type magnetic ground states that were previously predicted but so far unobserved. We find them in Mn monolayers on the Re(0001) surface using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. For fcc stacking of Mn the collinear row-wise antiferromagnetic state occurs, whereas for hcp Mn a three-dimensional spin structure appears, which is a superposition of three row-wise antiferromagnetic states known as the triple-q state. Density-functional theory calculations elucidate the subtle interplay of different magnetic interactions to form these spin structures and provide insight into the role played by relativistic effects.