Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Physical Review B
Publication Date
Volume
81
Abstract
We study the net chirality created by the Dzyaloshinkii-Moriya interaction (DMI) at the boundary
between hexagonal layers of magnetic and non-magnetic materials. It is shown that another
mechanism besides elastic torsion is required to understand the change in chirality observed in
Dy/Y multilayers during field-cooling. The paper shows that due to the overlap between magnetic
and non-magnetic atoms, interfacial steps may produce a DMI normal to the interface in magnetic
heterostructures.
