Kathryn Krycka | Searcharxiv

arXiv2019

Near-room-temperature giant topological Hall effect in antiferromagnetic kagome metal YMn6Sn6

The kagome lattice, consisting of interconnected triangles and hexagons uniquely, is an excellent model system for study frustrated magnetism, electronic correlation and topological electronic structure. After an intensive investigation on frustrated magnetism in insulating magnetic kagome lattices, the interplay between charge and spin degrees of freedom via spin-orbital coupling in metallic systems (kagome metals) has become an attractive topic recently. Here, we study centrosymmetric YMn6Sn6 with Mn kagome lattice. We discover that it exhibits giant topological Hall effect near room temperature, ascribed to the field-induced non-collinear spin texture, possibly a skyrmion lattice (SkL) state. Combined with the large intrinsic anomalous Hall effect, YMn6Sn6 shows a synergic effect of real- and momentum-space Berry phase on physical properties. Since the features of tunable magnetic interaction and flexible structure in this large homologous series, it provides a novel platform for understanding the influence of electronic correlations on topological quantum states in both real and momentum spaces.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Precipitating Ordered Skyrmion Lattices from Helical Spaghetti

Magnetic skyrmions have been the focus of intense research due to their potential applications in ultra-high density data and logic technologies, as well as for the unique physics arising from their antisymmetric exchange term and topological protections. In this work we prepare a chiral jammed state in chemically disordered (Fe, Co)Si consisting of a combination of randomly-oriented magnetic helices, labyrinth domains, rotationally disordered skyrmion lattices and/or isolated skyrmions. Using small angle neutron scattering, (SANS) we demonstrate a symmetry-breaking magnetic field sequence which disentangles the jammed state, resulting in an ordered, oriented skyrmion lattice. The same field sequence was performed on a sample of powdered Cu2OSeO3 and again yields an ordered, oriented skyrmion lattice, despite relatively non-interacting nature of the grains. Micromagnetic simulations confirm the promotion of a preferred skyrmion lattice orientation after field treatment, independent of the initial configuration, suggesting this effect may be universally applicable. Energetics extracted from the simulations suggest that approaching a magnetic hard axis causes the moments to diverge away from the magnetic field, increasing the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya energy, followed subsequently by a lattice re-orientation. The ability to facilitate an emergent ordered magnetic lattice with long-range orientation in a variety of materials despite overwhelming internal disorder enables the study of skyrmions even in imperfect powdered or polycrystalline systems and greatly improves the ability to rapidly screen candidate skyrmion materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗