Magnetic structures and reorientation transitions in noncentrosymmetric uniaxial antiferromagnets

A phenomenological theory of magnetic states in noncentrosymmetric tetragonal antiferromagnets is developed, which has to include homogeneous and inhomogeneous terms (Lifshitz invariants) derived from Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya couplings. Magnetic properties of this class of antiferromagnets with low crystal symmetry are discussed in relation to the recently detected compounds Ba₂CuGe₂O₇ and K₂V₃O₈. Crystallographic symmetry and magnetic ordering in these systems allow the simultaneous occurrence of chiral inhomogeneous magnetic structures and weak ferromagnetism. Incommensurate magnetic structures, chiral helices, with a rotation of the staggered magnetization accompanied by oscillations of the total magnetization, are possible. Field-induced reorientation transitions into modulated states have been studied and corresponding phase diagrams are constructed. Structures of magnetic defects (domain-walls and vortices) are discussed. In particular, vortices, i.e., localized nonsingular line defects, are stabilized by inhomogeneous Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in uniaxial noncentrosymmetric antiferromagnets.