Ground State of the Quasi-1D \bvs\ resolved by Resonant Magnetic X-ray Scattering

Resonant-magnetic x-ray scattering (RMXS) near the vanadium \(L_{2,3}\)-absorption edges has been used to investigate the low temperature magnetic structure of high quality \bvs\ single crystals. Below \(T_N\) = 31 K, the strong resonance revealed a triple-incommensurate magnetic ordering at wave vector (0.226 0.226 \(\xi\)) in the hexagonal notation, with \(\xi\) = 0.033. The simulations of the experimental RMXS spectra with a time-dependent density functional theory indicate an antiferromagnetic order with the spins polarized along \(a\) in the monoclinic structure.