Quantum phase transition of itinerant helimagnets

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantum phase transition of itinerant helimagnets

AU - Vojta, Thomas

AU - Sknepnek, Rastko

PY - 2001/7/13

Y1 - 2001/7/13

N2 - We investigate the quantum phase transition of itinerant electrons from a paramagnet to a state which displays long-period helical structures due to a Dzyaloshinskii instability of the ferromagnetic state. In particular, we study how the self-generated effective long-range interaction recently identified in itinerant quantum ferromagnets is cut off by the helical ordering. We find that for a sufficiently strong Dzyaloshinskii instability the helimagnetic quantum phase transition is of second order with mean-field exponents. In contrast, for a weak Dzyaloshinskii instability the transition is analogous to that in itinerant quantum ferromagnets, i.e., it is of first order, as has been observed in MnSi.

AB - We investigate the quantum phase transition of itinerant electrons from a paramagnet to a state which displays long-period helical structures due to a Dzyaloshinskii instability of the ferromagnetic state. In particular, we study how the self-generated effective long-range interaction recently identified in itinerant quantum ferromagnets is cut off by the helical ordering. We find that for a sufficiently strong Dzyaloshinskii instability the helimagnetic quantum phase transition is of second order with mean-field exponents. In contrast, for a weak Dzyaloshinskii instability the transition is analogous to that in itinerant quantum ferromagnets, i.e., it is of first order, as has been observed in MnSi.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0035423702

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.64.052404

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.64.052404

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0035423702

SN - 1098-0121

VL - 64

JO - Physical review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

JF - Physical review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

IS - 5

ER -