Exchange anisotropy-driven noncollinear magnetism and magnetic transitions in MnTiO3 ilmenite

Srimal Rathnayaka; Luke Daemen; Despina Louca

Exchange anisotropy-driven noncollinear magnetism and magnetic transitions in MnTiO3 ilmenite

Strongly Correlated Electrons 2026-03-09 v1 Materials Science

Authors: Srimal Rathnayaka , Luke Daemen , Despina Louca

Abstract

Evidence for multiple magnetic transitions and unconventional spin exchange interactions in the ilmenite insulator MnTiO3 is provided via neutron scattering. On cooling, while G-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) order sets in first at 63 K with a k1 = (000) characteristic wave vector, a weaker second magnetic transition with k2 = (00 3/2 ) appears near 42 K, giving rise to a noncollinear structure. Intrinsic buckling of the honeycomb lattice along c creates bond anisotropy and a distorted crystal field that can lead to exchange paths that modulate orbital overlap and spin-orbit coupling. The inelastic spectrum is best described by magnetic exchange anisotropy that breaks the local symmetry of the honeycomb, with competing AFM Heisenberg, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya and alternate intra-planar ferromagnetic (FM) interactions, that may yield a weakly-coupled ladder system.

Keywords

magnetic transition exchange anisotropy noncollinear magnetism neutron scattering MnTiO3

Cite

@article{arxiv.2603.05755,
  title  = {Exchange anisotropy-driven noncollinear magnetism and magnetic transitions in MnTiO3 ilmenite},
  author = {Srimal Rathnayaka and Luke Daemen and Despina Louca},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.05755},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

6 pages, 4 figures

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