Smectic Liquid-Crystalline Structure of Skyrmions in Chiral Magnet Co_{8.5}Zn_{7.5}Mn_{4}(110) Thin Film.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019;
123:137203. [PMID:
31697552 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.123.137203]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The organizing of magnetic skyrmions shows several forms similar to atomic arrays of solid states. Using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, we report the first direct observation of a stable liquid-crystalline structure of skyrmions in chiral magnet Co_{8.5}Zn_{7.5}Mn_{4}(110) thin film, caused by magnetic anisotropy and chiral surface twist. Elongated skyrmions are oriented and periodically arranged only in the ⟨110⟩ directions, whereas they exhibit short-range order along the ⟨001⟩ directions, indicating a smectic skyrmion state. In addition, skyrmions possess anisotropic interaction with an opposite sign depending on the crystal orientation, in contrast to existing isotropic interaction.
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