Publication Date:
2014-03-01
Description:
Nature Physics 10, 202 (2014). doi:10.1038/nphys2859 Authors: V. E. Dmitrienko, E. N. Ovchinnikova, S. P. Collins, G. Nisbet, G. Beutier, Y. O. Kvashnin, V. V. Mazurenko, A. I. Lichtenstein & M. I. Katsnelson Magnetism—the spontaneous alignment of atomic moments in a material—is driven by quantum mechanical exchange interactions that operate over interatomic distances. Some magnetic interactions cause, or are caused by, a twisting of arrangements of atoms. This can lead to the magnetoelectric effect, predicted to play a prominent role in future technology, and to the phenomenon of weak ferromagnetism, governed by the so-called Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction. Here we determine the sign of the latter interaction in iron borate (FeBO3) by using synchrotron radiation. We present a novel experimental technique based on the interference between two X-ray scattering processes, where one acts as a reference wave. Our experimental results are validated by state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Together, our experimental and theoretical approaches are expected to open up new possibilities for exploring, modelling and exploiting novel magnetic and magnetoelectric materials.
Print ISSN:
1745-2473
Electronic ISSN:
1745-2481
Topics:
Physics
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