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Xu J, Xi L, Xing S, Sheng J, Li S, Wang L, Kan X, Ma T, Zang Y, Bao B, Zhou Z, Yang M, Gao Y, Wang D, Wang G, Zheng X, Zhang J, Du H, Xu J, Yin W, Zhang Y, Zhou S, Shen B, Wang S. Magnetic Structure-Dependent Spin Texture Lattice in Hexagonal MnFeCoGe Magnets. ACS NANO 2024; 18:24515-24522. [PMID: 39165001 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c08703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Topological spin textures are of great significance in magnetic information storage and spintronics due to their high storage density and low drive current. In this work, the transformation of magnetic configuration from chaotic labyrinth domains to uniform stripe domains was observed in MnFe1-xCoxGe magnets. This change occurs due to the noncollinear magnetic structure switching to a uniaxial ferromagnetic structure with increasing Co content, as identified by neutron diffraction results and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (L-TEM). Of utmost importance, a hexagonal lattice of high-density robust type-II magnetic bubble lattice was established for x = 0.8 through out-of-plane magnetic field stimulation and field-cooling. The dimensions of the type-II magnetic bubbles were found to be tuned by the sample thickness. Therefore, the stabilization of complex magnetic spin textures, associated with enhanced uniaxial ferromagnetic interaction and magnetic dipole-dipole interaction in MnFe1-xCoxGe through magnetic structure manipulation, as further confirmed by the micromagnetic simulations, will provide a convenient and efficient strategy for designing topological spin textures with potential applications in spintronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawang Xu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Lei Xi
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Shouyuan Xing
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Junchao Sheng
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Shihao Li
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Liming Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Xucai Kan
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Tianping Ma
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Yipeng Zang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Bin Bao
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Zhonghao Zhou
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Mengmeng Yang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Yawei Gao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Dingsong Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Guyue Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xinqi Zheng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jingyan Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Haifeng Du
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Juping Xu
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Guangdong 523803, China
| | - Wen Yin
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Guangdong 523803, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Shiming Zhou
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Baogen Shen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Shouguo Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Magnetic Functional Materials and Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
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2
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Han MG, Camino F, Vorobyev PA, Garlow J, Rov R, Söhnel T, Seidel J, Mostovoy M, Tretiakov OA, Zhu Y. Hysteretic Responses of Skyrmion Lattices to Electric Fields in Magnetoelectric Cu 2OSeO 3. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:7143-7149. [PMID: 37523664 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Electric field control of topologically nontrivial magnetic textures, such as skyrmions, provides a paradigm shift for future spintronics beyond the current silicon-based technology. While significant progress has been made by X-ray and neutron scattering studies, direct observation of such nanoscale spin structures and their dynamics driven by external electric fields remains a challenge in understanding the underlying mechanisms and harness functionalities. Here, using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy combined with in situ electric and magnetic fields at liquid helium temperatures, we report the crystallographic orientation-dependent skyrmion responses to electric fields in thin slabs of magnetoelectric Cu2OSeO3. We show that electric fields not only stabilize the hexagonally packed skyrmion lattices in the entire sample in a hysteretic manner but also induce the rotation of their reciprocal vector discretely by 30°. The nonvolatile and energy-efficient skyrmion lattice control by electric fields demonstrated in this work provides an important foundation for designing skyrmion-based qubits and memory devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung-Geun Han
- Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Fernando Camino
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Pavel A Vorobyev
- School of Physics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Joseph Garlow
- Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Rosanna Rov
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Tilo Söhnel
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Jan Seidel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Maxim Mostovoy
- Department of Physics, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747, The Netherlands
| | - Oleg A Tretiakov
- School of Physics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Yimei Zhu
- Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
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3
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Yuan S, Chen Z, Prokhorenko S, Nahas Y, Bellaiche L, Liu C, Xu B, Chen L, Das S, Martin LW. Hexagonal Close-Packed Polar-Skyrmion Lattice in Ultrathin Ferroelectric PbTiO_{3} Films. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:226801. [PMID: 37327425 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.226801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Polar skyrmions are topologically stable, swirling polarization textures with particlelike characteristics, which hold promise for next-generation, nanoscale logic and memory. However, the understanding of how to create ordered polar skyrmion lattice structures and how such structures respond to applied electric fields, temperature, and film thickness remains elusive. Here, using phase-field simulations, the evolution of polar topology and the emergence of a phase transition to a hexagonal close-packed skyrmion lattice is explored through the construction of a temperature-electric field phase diagram for ultrathin ferroelectric PbTiO_{3} films. The hexagonal-lattice skyrmion crystal can be stabilized under application of an external, out-of-plane electric field which carefully adjusts the delicate interplay of elastic, electrostatic, and gradient energies. In addition, the lattice constants of the polar skyrmion crystals are found to increase with film thickness, consistent with expectation from Kittel's law. Our studies pave the way for the development of novel ordered condensed matter phases assembled from topological polar textures and related emergent properties in nanoscale ferroelectrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Yuan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China and Flexible Printed Electronics Technology Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zuhuang Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China and Flexible Printed Electronics Technology Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Sergei Prokhorenko
- Physics Department and Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
| | - Yousra Nahas
- Physics Department and Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
| | - Laurent Bellaiche
- Physics Department and Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
| | - Chenhan Liu
- Micro- and Nano-scale Thermal Measurement and Thermal Management Laboratory, School of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Xu
- Institute of Theoretical and Applied Physics and School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China
| | - Lang Chen
- Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Sujit Das
- Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Lane W Martin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA and Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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4
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Lv X, Pei K, Yang C, Qin G, Liu M, Zhang J, Che R. Controllable Topological Magnetic Transformations in the Thickness-Tunable van der Waals Ferromagnet Fe 5GeTe 2. ACS NANO 2022; 16:19319-19327. [PMID: 36349969 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c08844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent observations of topological meron textures in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials have attracted considerable research interest for both fundamental physics and spintronic applications. However, manipulating the meron textures and realizing the topological transformations, which allow for exploring emergent electromagnetic behaviors, remain largely unexplored in 2D magnets. In this work, utilizing real-space imaging and micromagnetic simulations, we reveal temperature- and thickness-dependent topological magnetic transformations among domain walls, meron textures, and stripe domain in Fe5GeTe2 (FGT) lamellae. The key mechanism of the magnetic transformations can be attributed to the temperature-induced change of exchange stiffness constant within layers and uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, while the magnetic dipole interaction as governed by sample thickness is crucial to affect the critical transformation temperature and stripe period. Our findings provide reliable insights into the origin and manipulation of topological spin textures in 2D vdW ferromagnets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Lv
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Pei
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Chendi Yang
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Qin
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Liu
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Jincang Zhang
- Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou311100, People's Republic of China
| | - Renchao Che
- Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai200438, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou311100, People's Republic of China
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5
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Abstract
A generic theory about skyrmion crystal (SkX) formation in chiral magnetic thin films and its fascinating thermodynamic behaviours is presented. A chiral magnetic film can have many metastable states with an arbitrary skyrmion density up to a maximal value when the parameter κ, which measures the relative Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) strength, is large enough. The lowest energy state of an infinite film is a long zig-zag ramified stripe skyrmion occupying the whole film in the absence of a magnetic field. Under an intermediate field perpendicular to the film, the lowest energy state has a finite skyrmion density. This is why a chiral magnetic film is often in a stripy state at a low field and a SkX only around an optimal field when κ is above a critical value. The lowest energy state is still a stripy helical state no matter with or without a field when κ is below the critical value. The multi-metastable states explain the thermodynamic path dependences of the various metastable states of a film. The decrease of the κ value with the temperature explains why SkXs become metastable at low temperatures in many skyrmion systems. These findings open a new avenue for SkX manipulation and skyrmion-based applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Chong Hu
- Physics Department, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
- HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Hai-Tao Wu
- Physics Department, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
- HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - X R Wang
- Physics Department, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
- HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
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Oyeka EE, Winiarski MJ, Sorolla Ii M, Taddei KM, Scheie A, Tran TT. Spin and Orbital Effects on Asymmetric Exchange Interaction in Polar Magnets: M(IO 3) 2 (M = Cu and Mn). Inorg Chem 2021; 60:16544-16557. [PMID: 34637293 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic polar materials feature an astonishing range of physical properties, such as magnetoelectric coupling, chiral spin textures, and related new spin topology physics. This is primarily attributable to their lack of space inversion symmetry in conjunction with unpaired electrons, potentially facilitating an asymmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) exchange interaction supported by spin-orbital and electron-lattice coupling. However, engineering the appropriate ensemble of coupled degrees of freedom necessary for enhanced DM exchange has remained elusive for polar magnets. Here, we study how spin and orbital components influence the capability of promoting the magnetic interaction by studying two magnetic polar materials, α-Cu(IO3)2 (2D) and Mn(IO3)2 (6S), and connecting their electronic and magnetic properties with their structures. The chemically controlled low-temperature synthesis of these complexes resulted in pure polycrystalline samples, providing a viable pathway to prepare bulk forms of transition-metal iodates. Rietveld refinements of the powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction data reveal that these materials exhibit different crystal structures but crystallize in the same polar and chiral P21 space group, giving rise to an electric polarization along the b-axis direction. The presence and absence of an evident phase transition to a possible topologically distinct state observed in α-Cu(IO3)2 and Mn(IO3)2, respectively, imply the important role of spin-orbit coupling. Neutron diffraction experiments reveal helpful insights into the magnetic ground state of these materials. While the long-wavelength incommensurability of α-Cu(IO3)2 is in harmony with sizable asymmetric DM interaction and low dimensionality of the electronic structure, the commensurate stripe AFM ground state of Mn(IO3)2 is attributed to negligible DM exchange and isotropic orbital overlapping. The work demonstrates connections between combined spin and orbital effects, magnetic coupling dimensionality, and DM exchange, providing a worthwhile approach for tuning asymmetric interaction, which promotes evolution of topologically distinct spin phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebube E Oyeka
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Michał J Winiarski
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics and Advanced Materials Center, Gdansk University of Technology, ul. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Maurice Sorolla Ii
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
| | - Keith M Taddei
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 9500 Spallation Dr, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Allen Scheie
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 9500 Spallation Dr, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Thao T Tran
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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7
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Abstract
ConspectusQuantum materials refers to a class of materials with exotic properties that arise from the quantum mechanical nature of their constituent electrons, exhibiting, for example, high-temperature superconductivity, colossal magnetoresistivity, multiferroicity, and topological behavior. Quantum materials often have incompletely filled d- or f-electron shells with narrow energy bands, and the conduct of their electrons is strongly correlated. One distinct characteristic of the materials is that their electronic states are often spatially inhomogeneous and thus well suited for study using a spatially resolved electron beam with its great scattering power and sensitivity to atomic ionicity. Furthermore, most of these exotic properties only manifest at very low temperatures, posing a challenge to modern electron microscopy. It requires extraordinarily instrument stabilities at cryogenic temperatures with critical spatial, temporal, and energy resolutions in both static and dynamic manner to probe these materials. On the other hand, the ability to directly visualize the atomic, electronic and spin structures and inhomogeneities of quantum materials and correlate them to their functionalities creates enormous opportunities. At the most elementary levels of condensed matter physics, understanding the competing order of electron, spin, orbital, and lattice and their degrees of freedom, the impacts of defects and interfaces, and the site-specific quantum phenomena and phase transitions that give rise to the emergent behaviors allows us to discover and control novel materials for quantum information science and technologies.In this Account, several of our research examples are selected to highlight the use of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to study strongly correlated quantum materials. We focus on the critical roles of heterogeneity, interfaces, defects, and disorder in crystal structure, magnetic structure, and electronic structure to understand the physical properties of the materials that cryo-EM enables. We show how electron crystallography coupled with Bragg diffraction and diffuse scattering analysis empowers us to reveal the nature of structural modulations, lattice distortion, and phonons and how quantitative electron diffraction can be used to map the distributions of the valence electrons that bond atoms together. We exploit transformative advances in imaging capabilities including the use of femtosecond laser and ultrafast electron diffraction to probe electron-lattice interactions and photoinduced transitions beyond equilibrium of matter. We review our Lorentz phase microscopy studies to illustrate the intriguing transformations among various topological chiral spin states under applied magnetic field at various cryogenic temperatures. Finally, we show that atomically resolved imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy at 10 K can be used to understand interface-enhanced superconductivity. The wide range of research and progress on quantum materials at low temperature reported here may inspire and attract more researchers in this ever-expanding field of cryo-EM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimei Zhu
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, New York 11973, United States
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Neves PM, Gilbert DA, Ran S, Liu IL, Saha S, Collini J, Bleuel M, Paglione J, Borchers JA, Butch NP. Effect of chemical substitution on the skyrmion phase in Cu 2OSeO 3. PHYSICAL REVIEW. B 2020; 102:10.1103/PhysRevB.102.134410. [PMID: 37731841 PMCID: PMC10510729 DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.102.134410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic skyrmions have been the focus of intense research due to their unique qualities which result from their topological protections. Previous work on Cu2OSeO3, the only known insulating multiferroic skyrmion material, has shown that chemical substitution alters the skyrmion phase. We chemically substitute Zn, Ag, and S into powdered Cu2OSeO3 to study the effect on the magnetic phase diagram. In both the Ag and the S substitutions, we find that the skyrmion phase is stabilized over a larger temperature range, as determined via magnetometry and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Meanwhile, while previous magnetometry characterization suggests two high temperature skyrmion phases in the Zn-substituted sample, SANS reveals the high temperature phase to be skyrmionic while we are unable to distinguish the other from helical order. Overall, chemical substitution weakens helical and skyrmion order as inferred from neutron scattering of the q ≈ 0.01 Å - 1 magnetic peak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Neves
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
- University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Dustin A. Gilbert
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Sheng Ran
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
- University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - I-Lin Liu
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
- University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Shanta Saha
- University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - John Collini
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
- University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Markus Bleuel
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
| | | | - Julie A. Borchers
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
| | - Nicholas P. Butch
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, USA
- University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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9
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Pan BY, Xu HC, Liu Y, Sutarto R, He F, Shen Y, Hao YQ, Zhao J, Harriger L, Feng DL. Anomalous helimagnetic domain shrinkage due to the weakening of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in CrAs. PHYSICAL REVIEW. B 2020; 102:10.1103/physrevb.102.104432. [PMID: 38487477 PMCID: PMC10938363 DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.102.104432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
CrAs is a well-known helimagnet with the double-helix structure originating from the competition between the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and antiferromagnetic exchange interaction J. By resonant soft-x-ray scattering, we observe the magnetic peak (0 0 q m ) that emerges at the helical transition with T S ≈ 267.5 K. Intriguingly, the helimagnetic domains significantly shrink on cooling below ~255 K, opposite to the conventional thermal effect. The weakening of DMI on cooling is found to play a critical role here. It causes the helical wave vector to vary, ordered spins to rotate, and extra helimagnetic domain boundaries to form at local defects, thus leading to the anomalous shrinkage of helimagnetic domains. Our results indicate that the size of magnetic helical domains can be controlled by tuning DMI in certain helimagnets.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Y. Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Advanced Materials Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong 264025, China
| | - H. C. Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Advanced Materials Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Y. Liu
- Center for Correlated Matter, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - R. Sutarto
- Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 2V3
| | - F. He
- Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 2V3
| | - Y. Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Advanced Materials Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Y. Q. Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Advanced Materials Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - J. Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Advanced Materials Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Leland Harriger
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
| | - D. L. Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, and Advanced Materials Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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