2010/10/31 by Manuel dos Santos Dias, M. dos Santos Dias, J. B. Staunton +3
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Anisotropy #Antiferromagnetism #Chemistry #Condensed matter physics #Magnetic moment #Magnetic properties of thin films #Materials science #Paramagnetism #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Spins #Thermodynamics #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.83.054435
11 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys Rev B
arxiv created 2011/01/11 · openalex publication_date 2011/02/25 · arxiv updated 2013/05/29 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present a finite-temperature theory of the anisotropic spin-spin correlations in magnetic metallic monolayers deposited on a suitable substrate. The spins are the local moments set up by the itinerant electrons, and the key concept is the relativistic disordered local moment state, which represents the paramagnetic state of a set of local moments. The spin-spin correlations between these local moments are then extracted using the linear-response formalism. The anisotropy is included in a fully relativistic treatment, based on the Dirac equation, and has a qualitative impact on noncollinear magnetic states by lifting their chiral degeneracy. The theory is applied to Mn monolayers on the hexagonal (111) surfaces of Pd, Pt, Ag, and Au. The presence of competing exchange interactions is highlighted by choosing different substrates, which favor either the row-wise antiferromagnetic state or the chiral triangular N'eel state. We correlate the electronic structure with the magnetic properties by comparing filled with partially filled substrate d bands, and low versus high atomic number. The disagreement between theory and experiment for Mn1/Ag(111) is addressed, and the nature of the magnetic domains found experimentally is suggested to be chiral.