Department of Physics and Astronomy: Publications and Other Research
Alexey Kovalev Papers
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2021
Citation
Phys. Rev. Materials 5, 054401 (2021)
Abstract
We study realizations of spirals and skyrmions in two-dimensional antiferromagnets with a triangular lattice on an inversion-symmetry-breaking substrate. As a possible material realization, we investigate the adsorption of transition-metal atoms (Cr, Mn, Fe, or Co) on a monolayer of MoS2, WS2, or WSe2 and obtain the exchange, anisotropy, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction parameters using first-principles calculations. Using energy minimization and parallel-tempering Monte Carlo simulations, we determine the magnetic phase diagrams for a wide range of interaction parameters. We find that skyrmion lattices can appear even with weak Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, but their stability is hindered by magnetic anisotropy. However, a weak easy plane magnetic anisotropy can be beneficial for stabilizing the skyrmion phase. Our results suggest that Cr/MoS2, Fe/MoS2, and Fe/WSe2 interfaces can host spin spirals formed from the 120∘ antiferromagnetic states. Our results further suggest that for interfaces, such as Fe/MoS2, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is strong enough to drive the system into a three-sublattice skyrmion lattice in the presence of experimentally feasible external magnetic field.
Comments
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.5.054401