Litcius/Paper detail

Noncollinear phases in moiré magnets

Kasra Hejazi, Zhu-Xi Luo, Leon Balents

2020Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences145 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

We introduce a general framework to study moiré structures of two-dimensional Van der Waals magnets using continuum field theory. The formalism eliminates quasiperiodicity and allows a full understanding of magnetic structures and their excitations. In particular, we analyze in detail twisted bilayers of Néel antiferromagnets on the honeycomb lattice. A rich phase diagram with noncollinear twisted phases is obtained, and spin waves are further calculated. Direct extensions to zigzag antiferromagnets and ferromagnets are also presented. We anticipate the results and formalism demonstrated to lead to a broad range of applications to both fundamental research and experiments.

Topics & Concepts

Phase diagramCondensed matter physicsFerromagnetismFormalism (music)ZigzagMagnetPhysicsQuasiperiodicityLattice (music)Theoretical physicsQuantum mechanicsQuasiperiodic functionPhase (matter)GeometryVisual artsArtMusicalMathematicsAcousticsPhysics of Superconductivity and MagnetismAdvanced Condensed Matter PhysicsMagnetic properties of thin films