Finite-temperature interatomic exchange and magnon softening in Fe overlayers on Ir(001)

We evaluate how thermal effects soften the magnon dispersion in 6 layers of Fe(001) on top of Ir(001). We perform a systematic study considering noncollinear spin arrangement and calculate configuration-dependent exchange parameters J(ij)(nc) following the methodology described by Szilva et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 127204 (2013)]. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations were performed in order to estimate the noncollinear spin arrangement as a function of temperature. Hence the J(ij)(nc)'s related to these configurations were calculated and used in an atomistic spin dynamics approach to evaluate the magnon spectra. Our results show good agreement with recent room-temperature measurements, and highlights how thermal effects produce magnon softening in this, and similar, systems.