Incommensurate spiral order from double exchange interactions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the double exchange model often favors incommensurate spiral magnetic order over ferromagnetism across various lattices, revealing inherent frustration and potential for unconventional spin states.

Contribution

It shows that double exchange interactions naturally lead to spiral magnetic orders, challenging the common ferromagnetic assumption in these systems.

Findings

Incommensurate spiral states have lower energy than ferromagnetic states in many lattice configurations.

Double exchange systems are inherently frustrated, promoting unconventional magnetic orders.

The phase diagram of the triangular lattice reveals dominant spiral states in large parameter regions.

Abstract

The double exchange model describing interactions of itinerant electrons with localized spins is usually used to explain ferromagnetism in metals. We show that for a variety of crystal lattices of different dimensionalities and for a wide range of model parameters the ferromagnetic state is unstable against a non-collinear spiral magnetic order. We revisit the phase diagram of the double exchange model on a triangular lattice and show in a large part of the diagram the incommensurate spiral state has a lower energy than the previously discussed commensurate states. These results indicate that double exchange systems are inherently frustrated and can host unconventional spin orders.