1. Information Transfer by Vector Spin Chirality in Finite Magnetic Chains.
- Author
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Menzel, Matthias, Mokrousov, Yuriy, Wieser, Robert, and Bickel, Jessica E.
- Subjects
- *
NUCLEAR spin , *CHIRALITY of nuclear particles , *MAGNETS , *SCANNING tunneling microscopy , *NANOSTRUCTURED materials , *SURFACES (Physics) - Abstract
Vector spin chirality is one of the fundamental characteristics of complex magnets. For a one-dimensional spin-spiral state it can be interpreted as the handedness, or rotational sense of the spiral. Here, using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy, we demonstrate the occurrence of an atomic-scale spin spiral in finite individual bi-atomic Fe chains on the (5 X 1) -- Ir(001) surface. We show that the broken inversion symmetry at the surface promotes one direction of the vector spin chirality, leading to a unique rotational sense of the spiral in all chains. Correspondingly, changes in the spin direction of one chain end can be probed tens of nanometers away, suggesting a new way of transmitting information about the state of magnetic objects on the nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
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