Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction accounting for the orientation of magnetic domains in ultrathin films: Fe/W(110)

Abstract

Combining relativistic first-principles calculations with a micromagnetic model, we establish the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction as an important mechanism in thin-film magnetism, determining the orientation of magnetic domains relative to the lattice, the type of domain wall, and the rotational direction of the magnetization in the wall. Applying the analysis to two monolayers Fe on W(110), we provide an explanation for puzzling experimental data obtained by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy.