English

Orbital Magnetic Moment of Magnons

Strongly Correlated Electrons 2020-09-16 v1 Statistical Mechanics

Abstract

In experiments and applications usually the spin magnetic moment of magnons is considered. In this Paper we identify an additional degree of freedom of magnons: an \emph{orbital} magnetic moment brought about by spin-orbit coupling.Our microscopic theory uncovers that spin magnetization MS\vec{M}^\mathrm{S} and orbital magnetization MO\vec{M}^\mathrm{O} are independent quantities. They are not necessarily collinear; thus, even when the total spin moment is compensated due to antiferromagnetism (MS=0\vec{M}^\mathrm{S} = \vec{0}), MO\vec{M}^\mathrm{O} may be nonzero. This scenario of orbital weak ferromagnetism is realized in paradigmatic kagome antiferromagnets with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. We demonstrate that magnets exhibiting a magnonic orbital moment are omnipresent and propose transport experiments for probing it.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2006.11107,
  title  = {Orbital Magnetic Moment of Magnons},
  author = {Robin R. Neumann and Alexander Mook and Jürgen Henk and Ingrid Mertig},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2006.11107},
  year   = {2020}
}