Field-induced chirality in the helix structure of Ho/Y multilayers

• We study the net chirality in the spin helix structure of Ho/Y multilayers induced by an in-plane applied magnetic field. The lifting of degeneracy of the chiral symmetry was revealed by means of polarized neutron reflectometry. Three samples of different thicknesses of the Ho and Y layers were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The chiral states are degenerated upon zero field cooling below the critical temperature TN=115±3 K. The chirality parameter γ rises during the field cooling procedure in the field range from 0 to 1 T and saturates at a value of 0.12±0.01. The chirality appears stepwise below TN and depends weakly on temperature. The phenomenon is interpreted in terms of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction appearing at the interface between the Ho and Y layers.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Rare earths

magnetism

superlattices

neutron scattering

Fysik med inriktning mot atom- molekyl- och kondenserande materiens fysik

Physics with spec. in Atomic, Molecular and Condensed Matter Physics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)