Cotunneling through a quantum dot coupled to ferromagnetic leads with noncollinear magnetizations

Spin-dependent electronic transport through a quantum dot has been analyzed theoretically in the cotunneling regime by means of the second-order perturbation theory. The system is described by the impurity Anderson Hamiltonian with arbitrary Coulomb correlation parameter U. It is assumed that the dot level is intrinsically spin-split due to an effective molecular field exerted by a magnetic substrate. The dot is coupled to two ferromagnetic leads whose magnetic moments are noncollinear. The angular dependence of electric current, tunnel magnetoresistance, and differential conductance are presented and discussed. The evolution of a cotunneling gap with the angle between magnetic moments and with the splitting of the dot level is also demonstrated.     

Noncollinear ferromagnetism in (III,Mn)V semiconductors

We investigate the stability of the collinear ferromagnetic state in kinetic exchange models for (III,Mn)V semiconductors with randomly distributed Mn ions. Our results suggest that noncollinear ferromagnetism is common to these semiconductor systems. The instability of the collinear state is due to long-range fluctuations involving a large fraction of the localized magnetic moments. We address conditions that favor the occurrence of noncollinear ground states and discuss unusual behavior that we predict for the temperature and field dependence of its saturation magnetization.     

Hysteresis-free spin valves with a noncollinear configuration of magnetic anisotropy

A noncollinear configuration of magnetic anisotropy in spin valves with strong and weak interlayer couplings has been formed by annealing and cooling in a magnetic field. The dependence of the low-field magnetoresistance hysteresis loop width on the angle between the applied magnetic field and the principal axes of the magnetic anisotropy in a spin valve has been investigated. It has been found that, only in the case of a strong ferromagnetic interlayer coupling, the formation of a noncollinear configuration of the magnetic anisotropy provides a hysteresis-free character of the magnetization reversal of the free layer with retaining the maximum magnetoresistance and magnetoresistive sensitivity.     

Crystal growth and dislocations

The article attempts to review the present stage of the density functional theory for noncollinear magnetic states and its application to particular physical problems. The discussion starts with basic theorems of the theory and derivation of the Kohn-Sham equation for a noncollinear magnet. Special features of solving this equation are illustrated using the augmented-spherical-wave method generalized to the noncollinear magnetic structures as an example. Particular attention is devoted to the symmetry of the problem. It is shown that a traditional approach of the space group theory fails in the case of a noncollinear magnetic state. A generalized approach based on the notion of the spin space groups is presented which allows a consequent treatment of the symmetry properties of both nonrelativistic and relativistic problems. This approach allows the development of an exact procedure for a first-principles calculation of an incommensurate spiral structure and gives a sound basis for the calculation and physical interpretation of the noncollinear magnetic structures caused by the effects of relativity. Application of the theory to the first-principles determination of the complex noncollinear magnetic structures of various systems are discussed. Applications include the spiral structure of fcc Fe, the uncompensated magnetic structure in U3X4 and compensated magnetic structure in U2P2Sn, and two different types of weak ferromagnetism in Fe2O3 and Mn3Sn. It is shown how the calculation technique can be applied to studies of unenhanced and enhanced non-uniform magnetic susceptibilities as well as susceptibilities in fields noncollinear to the atomic moments. Illustrating results of the calculation of the susceptibility of various systems are presented. The last part of the review is devoted to applications of the theory of noncollinear magnetism to studies of temperature effects in the electronic properties of itinerant magnets.     

Noncollinear states in a chain of single-domain magnetic particles

The ground state of a chain of single-domain magnetic particles has been theoretically analyzed. The conditions under which this state corresponds to a noncollinear structure in zero external magnetic field are determined. Such noncollinear states are due to the features of the long-range magnetostatic interactions in the systems without the center of inversion.     

Onset of non-collinear magnetism in small Fe clusters

The onset of noncollinear magnetism in small Fe_N clusters is investigated by using a rotational invariant tight-binding Hamiltonian. The ground-state local magnetic moments, magnetic order and average magnetic moments are calculated as a function of the Coulomb exchange integral J. Representative results for Fe₃ and Fe₅ show that the noncollinear magnetic solutions are the most stable. A variety of qualitatively different self-consistent solutions is obtained as a function of J. This includes magnetic solutions with collinear and noncollinear spin arrangements. Our calculations are compared with previous density-functional results. Extensions and limitations of our work are also pointed out.     

FeVO_4电子结构的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法研究了三斜结构FeVO_4的结构,基态的能带结构、总态密度和分波态密度.将FeVO_4非共线的螺旋磁结构简化为六种不同的反铁磁结构,通过比较不同自旋构型的总能确定了基态磁结构.能带计算和总态密度结果均显示FeVO_4是能隙为2.19 e V的半导体,与实验结果相符.考虑Fe原子的在位库仑能,FeVO_4的能带结构和态密度都发生变化,说明FeVO_4晶体是一个典型的强关联电子体系.     

Balance of neutrons during their transport through magnetic noncollinear and noncoplanar layered systems

The violation of the detailed balance principle (DBP) for polarized neutrons during their mirror reflection and transport through a two-layered noncollinear magnetic structure in a magnetic field (noncoplanar system), and without it (noncollinear system), is revealed. Moreover, the existence of left-right non-polarized neutron transmission asymmetry for a noncoplanar layered system is uncovered.     

Single-Ion Weak Antiferromagnetism and Spin-Flop Transition in a Two-Sublattice Ferromagnet

Physics of the Solid State - The ground state of a Heisenberg ferromagnet with the noncollinear single-ion anisotropy axes of two magnetic sublattices has been investigated in an external magnetic...     

Negative tunneling magnetoresistance by canted magnetization in MgO/NiO tunnel barriers

The influence of the insertion of an ultrathin NiO layer between the MgO barrier and the ferromagnetic electrodes in magnetic tunnel junctions has been investigated from measurements of the tunneling magnetoresistance and via x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). The magnetoresistance shows a high asymmetry with respect to bias voltage, giving rise to a negative value of up to -16% at 2.8 K. We attribute this effect to the formation of noncollinear spin structures at the interface of the NiO layer as inferred from XMCD measurements. The magnetic moments of the interface Ni atoms tilt from their easy axis due to exchange coupling with the neighboring ferromagnetic electrode, and the tilting angle decreases with increasing NiO thickness. The experimental observations are further supported by noncollinear spin density functional calculations.     

Absorption of electromagnetic radiation by systems with a noncollinear magnetization distribution

The high-frequency absorption of electromagnetic radiation in systems with a noncollinear spatial magnetization distribution has been calculated. A medium with a helicoidal magnetic structure and a superlattice whose period contains two layers with noncollinear magnetizations are considered. An additional absorption peak related to the electron transitions from one spin subband to another under the action of a variable linearly polarized electric field is shown to appear in such systems at frequencies near the spin splitting of the conduction band.     

Induction of ferroelectric transitions by the noncollinear exchange-modulated magnetic structure and magnetic fields in terbium manganate

The magnetic transition from the exchange-modulated collinear to the noncollinear state in terbium manganate, accompanied by the appearance of electric polarization, is explained within the Landau theory of phase transitions. The experimentally observed reorientation or disappearance of electric polarization in magnetic fields along the Y and Z axes are explained by the spin-flop transitions of manganese spins from the incommensurate noncollinear to the commensurate magnetic phase.     

Microscopic origin of magnetoelectric coupling in noncollinear multiferroics

An universal microscopic mechanism to understand the interplay between the electric and magnetic degrees of freedom in noncollinear multiferroics is developed. In a system with a strong spin-orbit coupling, we show that there is a pure electric mechanism that the ferroelectricity is generated by noncollinear magnetism through an electric current cancellation process, which saves the pure electric energy. This mechanism provides a simple estimation and sets a physical limitation of the value of ferroelectricity in noncollinear multiferroic materials.     

Phase diagram of a two-dimensional square lattice of magnetic particles with perpendicular anisotropy

The ground state of an array of small single-domain magnetic particles having perpendicular anisotropy and forming a square two-dimensional lattice is studied in the presence of a magnetic field. The stability of some basic states with respect to nonuniform perturbations is analyzed in a linear approximation, and analytical model calculations and numerical simulation are used for an analysis. The entire set of states at various anisotropy constants and magnetic fields is considered when a field is normal to the array plane. Two main classes of states are possible for an infinite system, namely, collinear and noncollinear states. For collinear states, the magnetic moments of all particles are normal to the array plane. At a sufficiently high anisotropy, a wide class of collinear states exists. At low fields, a staggered antiferromagnetic order of magnetic moments takes place. An increase in the magnetic field causes an unsaturated state, and this state transforms into a saturated (ferromagnetic) state with a parallel orientation of the magnetic moments of all particles at a sufficiently high field. At a lower anisotropy, the ground state of the system is represented by noncollinear states, which include a complex four-sublattice structure for the components of the magnetic moments in the array plane and a nonzero projection of the magnetic moments of the particles onto the field direction. A phase diagram is plotted for the states of an array of anisotropic magnetic particles in the anisotropy constant-magnetic field coordinates. For a finite array of particles, sample boundaries are shown to play a significant role, which is particularly important for noncollinear states. As a result of the effect of the boundaries at a moderate field or anisotropy, substantially heterogeneous noncollinear states with a heterogeneity size comparable with the sample size can appear in the system.     

In-plane thermal conductivity of Nd2CuO4: evidence for magnon heat transport

We report the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the in-plane thermal conductivity (kappa(ab)) of high-quality monocrystalline Nd2CuO4. Isothermal measurements of the field dependence of kappa(ab) at low temperatures (2 K相似文献   

Chiral-like critical behavior in the antiferromagnet cobalt glycerolate

Critical exponents closely matching those of the N=2 chiral universality class have been obtained for the layered magnetic system cobalt glycerolate using muon spin relaxation. This class was originally introduced to represent geometrically frustrated triangular stacked-layer XY magnets with chiral noncollinear spin structures. Since the present magnetic system is a canted XY system without geometrical frustration or chiral degeneracy, the results indicate that the order parameter for canting in this system plays a similar role to the chiral order parameter in the geometrically frustrated systems, strongly suggesting that both types of noncollinear system share the same universality class.     

Ferroelectric polarization flop in a frustrated magnet MnWO4 induced by a magnetic field

The relationship between magnetic order and ferroelectric properties has been investigated for MnWO4 with a long-wavelength magnetic structure. Spontaneous electric polarization is observed in an elliptical spiral spin phase. The magnetic-field dependence of electric polarization indicates that the noncollinear spin configuration plays a key role for the appearance of the ferroelectric phase. An electric polarization flop from the b direction to the a direction has been observed when a magnetic field above 10 T is applied along the b axis. This result demonstrates that an electric polarization flop can be induced by a magnetic field in a simple system without rare-earth 4f moments.     

Three-dimensional spin structure on a two-dimensional lattice: Mn/Cu(111)

Based on first-principles vector spin-density total-energy calculations of the magnetic and electronic structure of Cr and Mn transition-metal monolayers on the triangular lattice of a (111) oriented Cu surface, we propose for Mn a three-dimensional noncollinear spin structure on a two-dimensional triangular lattice as magnetic ground state. This new spin structure is a multiple spin-density wave of three row-wise antiferromagnetic spin states and comes about due to magnetic interactions beyond the nearest neighbors and due to higher order spin interactions (i.e., four spin). The magnetic ground state of Cr is a coplanar noncollinear periodic 120 degrees Néel structure.     

Phase diagram of a geometrically frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet in a magnetic field

The magnetic phase diagram of a geometrically frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet is evaluated as a function of magnetic field and anisotropy using a trial spin state built from harmonics of a fundamental ordering wave vector. A noncollinear incommensurate state, observed to be chiral and ferroelectric in CuFeO2, appears above a collinear state with 4 sublattices (SLs). The apparent absence of multiferroic behavior for predicted chiral, noncollinear 5-SL states poses a challenge to theories of the ferroelectric coupling in CuFeO2.