Topological spin textures in 2D altermagnetic chromium chalcogenides: Interplay between magnetic frustration and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction
Abstract
Altermagnetism has recently emerged as a distinct magnetic paradigm, yet the exploration of topological spin textures within two-dimensional (2D) altermagnets remains limited. Using first-principles calculations and atomistic spin simulations, we investigate monolayer Cr2X2 and Janus monolayer Cr2XY altermagnets (X, Y=O, S, Se, Te, and X ≠ Y). Both systems exhibit strong intrinsic exchange frustration arising from competition between nearest-neighbor and further-neighbor exchange interactions. In Janus Cr2XY, breaking the out-of-plane mirror symmetry additionally activates a substantial in-plane Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), mediated by the strong spin-orbit coupling of heavy chalcogen ligands. The interplay between exchange frustration and DMI gives rise to distinct frustration- and DMI-dominated regimes, while magnetic anisotropy determines the preferred spin orientation, leading to a diverse range of non-collinear states. Systematic phase-space scans and geodesic nudged elastic band (GNEB) calculations reveal two distinct mechanisms governing this interplay: a synergistic effect, in which frustration lowers the critical DMI for the onset of non-collinear states, and a competitive effect, in which frustration favors high-topological-charge states while DMI favors low-charge states. Our results establish a general framework for understanding the interplay between frustration and DMI and guiding the design of topological spin textures in two-dimensional altermagnets.
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BibTeX
@misc{zhang2026topological,
title = {{Topological spin textures in 2D altermagnetic chromium chalcogenides: Interplay between magnetic frustration and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction}},
author = {Zirui Zhang and Shiwei Zhu and Ruixiao Ma and Qiuyao Zhang and Xiaoping Wu and Changsheng Song},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.16780},
eprint = {2609.16780},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16780},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Topological spin textures in 2D altermagnetic chromium chalcogenides: Interplay between magnetic frustration and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction
AU - Zirui Zhang
AU - Shiwei Zhu
AU - Ruixiao Ma
AU - Qiuyao Zhang
AU - Xiaoping Wu
AU - Changsheng Song
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.16780
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.16780
AB - Altermagnetism has recently emerged as a distinct magnetic paradigm, yet the exploration of topological spin textures within two-dimensional (2D) altermagnets remains limited. Using first-principles calculations and atomistic spin simulations, we investigate monolayer Cr_2X_2 and Janus monolayer Cr_2XY altermagnets (X, Y=O, S, Se, Te, and X ≠ Y). Both systems exhibit strong intrinsic exchange frustration arising from competition between nearest-neighbor and further-neighbor exchange interactions. In Janus Cr_2XY, breaking the out-of-plane mirror symmetry additionally activates a substantial in-plane Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), mediated by the strong spin-orbit coupling of heavy chalcogen ligands. The interplay between exchange frustration and DMI gives rise to distinct frustration- and DMI-dominated regimes, while magnetic anisotropy determines the preferred spin orientation, leading to a diverse range of non-collinear states. Systematic phase-space scans and geodesic nudged elastic band (GNEB) calculations reveal two distinct mechanisms governing this interplay: a synergistic effect, in which frustration lowers the critical DMI for the onset of non-collinear states, and a competitive effect, in which frustration favors high-topological-charge states while DMI favors low-charge states. Our results establish a general framework for understanding the interplay between frustration and DMI and guiding the design of topological spin textures in two-dimensional altermagnets.
ER -