Role of Antisymmetric Exchange in Selecting Magnetic Chirality in Ba$_3$NbFe$_3$Si$_2$O$_{14}$

Abstract

We present electron spin resonance (ESR) investigation of the acentric \FeLang, featuring a unique single-domain double-chiral magnetic ground state. Combining simulations of the ESR line-width anisotropy and the antiferromagnetic-resonance modes allows us to single out the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya (DM) interaction as the leading magnetic anisotropy term. We demonstrate that the rather minute out-of-plane DM component $d_c=45$ mK is responsible for selecting a unique ground state, which endures thermal fluctuations up to astonishingly high temperatures.

4+ pages, 4 figures, 3+ pages of supplementary information with 2 additional figures, accepted for publication in PRL