Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction-based collective magnetic properties of van der Waals heterostructures

Abstract

The Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya Interaction (DMI) has emerged as a fundamental quantum mechanical mechanism responsible for stabilizing chiral spin textures such as skyrmions, Néel-type domain walls and others in low-dimensional magnetic systems. Understanding and harnessing DMI is crucial for advancing spintronic technologies that rely on ultra-fast, energy-efficient control of spin configurations. In two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials and heterostructures, the broken inversion symmetry at interfaces, combined with strong spin–orbit coupling, enables tunable DMI, which plays a decisive role in the formation and stability of non-collinear magnetic states. The interfacial nature of DMI offers a pathway to engineer magnetic properties through structural modification, layer selection, and stacking sequences in van der Waals and non-van der Waals systems. This review highlights the microscopic origin of DMI, the influence of adjacent layers, strain-induced effects, and symmetry breaking at interfaces, all of which contribute to the modulation of chiral magnetic phenomena. Emphasis is also placed on recent experimental and theoretical progress in tailoring DMI in multilayer structures for potential application in next-generation spintronic devices.