Unconventional topological Hall response and anisotropic magnetotransport properties of a helical magnet EuAuAs

Abstract

Topological magnets with nontrivial spin texture have attracted considerable interest because they display a rich spectrum of emergent quantum phenomena. Here, we present a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the magnetic and magnetotransport properties of EuAuAs, an antiferromagnet with N\'eel temperature ($T_\mathrm{N}$) $\sim$ 6 K. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of electrical resistivity and magnetization demonstrate that the charge transport in EuAuAs is strongly influenced by the spin configuration of local Eu moments. Below $T_\mathrm{N}$, both longitudinal magnetoresistance (LMR) and transverse magnetoresistance (TMR) are positive at low fields but large and negative at high fields. With increasing temperature, TMR becomes positive above 60 K, whereas LMR remains negative up to 100 K. The low-field positive LMR and TMR originate from weak antilocalization (WAL). The WAL contribution in TMR is well captured by the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model, whereas the LMR data are described by a generalized Altshuler-Aronov framework. Moreover, we observe a giant topological Hall effect arising from the scalar spin chirality, which is further supported by the helical magnetic structure obtained from the ab-initio calculations. The observed anisotropy in longitudinal resistivity and magnetoresistance underscores the very nature of the Fermi surface of the EuAuAs, as confirmed by first-principles calculations. These results establish EuAuAs as a unique platform for exploring the interplay between electronic structure and noncoplanar spin texture in a centrosymmetric helical magnet.