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Field-Driven Band Asymmetry and Nonreciprocal Transport in a Helimagnet

Darius-Alexandru Deaconu1,*, Aneesh Agarwal2, Rodion Vladimirovich Belosludov3, Robert-Jan Slager1,2, and Mohammad Saeed Bahramy1,†

  • *Contact author: darius-alexandru.deaconu@manchester.ac.uk
  • †Contact author: m.saeed.bahramy@manchester.ac.uk
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 096701 – Published 25 August, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/lhj4-9h29

Abstract

Helimagnets exhibit noncollinear spin arrangements characterized by a periodic helical modulation, giving rise to emergent chiral properties. These materials have attracted significant interest due to their potential applications in spintronics, particularly for robust information storage and the realization of topological spin textures such as skyrmions. In this work, we focus on Yoshimori-type helimagnets, where competing exchange interactions mediated by conduction electrons stabilize helical spin structures without requiring Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. We introduce a minimal model describing the electronic structure of a one-dimensional helimagnet in the presence of an external magnetic field and investigate its impact on nonreciprocal transport. We demonstrate how band asymmetry emerges in the conical phase induced by the external field, leading to a nonzero second-order electronic conductivity and injection photoconductivity. Our results provide insight into the interplay between the real space magnetic texture and electronic properties, paving the way for future studies on chirality-driven transport phenomena in centrosymmetric helimagnets.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 096701– Published 25 August, 2025
  • Received 27 February 2025
  • Revised 12 May 2025
  • Accepted 17 July 2025
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