Theory of the Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction in Rashba Antiferromagnets

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework to compute the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in Rashba antiferromagnets, revealing how material parameters influence its strength and sign, with implications for spintronic device design.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method for calculating DM interactions in 2D Rashba antiferromagnets, highlighting differences from ferromagnets and potential control mechanisms.

Findings

DM interaction persists at low temperatures in AFMs

Material parameters affect DM strength and sign

Doping and electric fields can control DM interaction

Abstract

In antiferromagnetic (AFM) thin films, broken inversion symmetry or coupling to adjacent heavy metals can induce Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions. Knowledge of the DM parameters is essential for understanding and designing exotic spin structures, such as hedgehog Skyrmions and chiral N\'eel walls, which are attractive for use in novel information storage technologies. We introduce a framework for computing the DM interaction in two-dimensional Rashba antiferromagnets. Unlike in Rashba ferromagnets, the DM interaction is not suppressed even at low temperatures. The material parameters control both the strength and the sign of the interfacial DM interaction. Our results suggest a route toward controlling the DM interaction in AFM materials by means of doping and electric fields.