arXiv subjects

S. Wintz

Publications and source records attributed to S. Wintz.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Quasi-1D Spin Textures: From Chiral Soliton Lattice to Fan State

In most helimagnets, an applied magnetic field aligns the propagation direction of a helical spin texture with the field, resulting in a conical state and obscuring the unwinding process. Here, we access a complementary regime in the anisotropic chiral magnet Mn$_{1.4}$PtSn, where crystal symmetry constrains the propagation direction of the spin modulation. Using resonant elastic X-ray scattering in a vector magnet, we track the evolution of quasi-one-dimensional spin textures that propagate along a chiral crystallographic axis while the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to this direction. Together with micromagnetic simulations, our measurements reveal a transformation from the zero-field $\pi$-chiral soliton lattice into a fan-like state. In this state, the propagation direction remains transverse to the applied field, while the spins oscillate about the field direction. During magnetization, the modulation length decreases continuously with the field and approaches the field-polarized state. Simulations indicate that magnetostatic interactions in finite samples play a key role in stabilizing this behavior. Our results provide evidence for a fan-like regime in a chiral magnet and highlight how field orientation can be used to control one-dimensional spin textures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Linear dichroic soft X-ray microscopy of ferroelectric stripe domains in epitaxial K$_\mathbf{0.6}$Na$_\mathbf{0.4}$NbO$_\mathbf{3}$

Functional properties of ferroelectric thin films are governed by domains that can be engineered by epitaxial strain. Soft X-ray microscopy can image domain structures with elemental and electronic sensitivity, but hitherto its application to strain-stabilized domains has been hindered by the absorption of soft X-rays in epitaxial substrates. Here, it is demonstrated how this limitation can be overcome by locally back-thinning the (110) TbScO$_3$ substrate of epitaxial K$_{0.6}$Na$_{0.4}$NbO$_3$ ferroelectric thin films to achieve soft X-ray transparency at the O K-edge around 530 eV. Strain-induced ferroelectric stripe domains with periods down to 44 nm were resolved by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and coherent diffractive imaging by exploiting the X-ray linear dichroism of hybridized O 2p-Nb 4d states, providing sensitivity to in-plane polarization components under normal incidence. The results establish soft X-ray microscopy for nanoscale imaging of epitaxial ferroelectric domains structures and open perspectives for time-resolved studies thereof.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Nanoscale imaging of spin textures with locally varying altermagnetic response in $\alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$

Altermagnetism is a recently identified magnetic state in which time-reversal symmetry is broken despite a collinear compensated spin structure. The response of altermagnets is determined not only by their $d$-, $g$-, or $i$-wave spin order, but also the orientation of their N\'eel vector $\mathbf{L}$. Therefore, accessing a response that fundamentally depends on the orientation of $\mathbf{L}$, such as the anomalous Hall effect, remains experimentally challenging in particular at the nanoscale. Here, we harness nano-spectroscopic X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) to investigate nanoscale modulated altermagnetic responses in $\alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$ (Hematite). By performing spectroscopy across the temperature-induced $\mathbf{L}$-reorientation Morin transition, we observe the on-and-off switching of XMCD, in agreement with our theoretical calculations. Although the bulk XMCD vanishes below the Morin temperature, we confirm the reorientation of $\mathbf{L}$ by harnessing polarization-independent X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Moreover, we observe a finite XMCD signal in nanoscale domain walls with locally modulated N\'eel vectors, while the surrounding domains exhibit no XMCD. At room temperature, we instead identify altermagnetic meron spin textures that exhibit XMCD in their planar regions but no XMCD in their nanoscopic cores. Our results establish a pathway to harness complex spin textures with nanoscale functionalities in a broader class of altermagnets with various $\mathbf{L}$-orientations and using light, earth-abundant elements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Deterministic Generation and Guided Motion of Magnetic Skyrmions by Focused He$^+$-Ion Irradiation

Magnetic skyrmions are quasiparticles with non-trivial topology, envisioned to play a key role in next-generation data technology while simultaneously attracting fundamental research interest due to their emerging topological charge. In chiral magnetic multilayers, current-generated spin-orbit torques or ultrafast laser excitation can be used to nucleate isolated skyrmions on a picosecond timescale. Both methods, however, produce randomly arranged skyrmions, which inherently limits the precision on the location at which the skyrmions are nucleated. Here, we show that nanopatterning of the anisotropy landscape with a He$^+$-ion beam creates well-defined skyrmion nucleation sites, thereby transforming the skyrmion localization into a deterministic process. This approach allows to realize control of individual skyrmion nucleation as well as guided skyrmion motion with nanometer-scale precision, which is pivotal for both future fundamental studies of skyrmion dynamics and applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Anisotropy induced spin re-orientation in chemically-modulated amorphous ferrimagnetic films

The ability to tune the competition between the in-plane and out-of-plane orientation of magnetization provides a means to construct thermal sensors with a sharp spin re-orientation transition at specific temperatures. We have observed such a tuneable, temperature driven spin re-orientation in structurally amorphous, ferrimagnetic rare earth-transition metal (RE-TM) alloy thin films using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and magnetic measurements. The nature of the spin re-orientation transition in FeGd can be fully explained by a non-equilibrium, nanoscale modulation of the chemical composition of the films. This modulation leads to a magnetic domain pattern of nanoscale speckles superimposed on a background of in-plane domains that form Laudau configurations in micron-scale patterned elements. It is this speckle magnetic structure that gives rise to a sharp two step-reversal mechanism that is temperature dependent. The possibility to balance competing anisotropies through the temperature opens opportunities to create and manipulate topological spin textures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Formation of Néel Type Skyrmions in an Antidot Lattice with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy

Magnetic skyrmions are particle-like chiral spin textures found in a magnetic film with out-of-planeanisotropy and are considered to be potential candidates as information carriers in next generationdata storage devices. Despite intense research into the nature of skyrmions and their dynamic prop-erties, there are several key challenges that still need to be addressed. In particular, the outstandingissues are the reproducible generation, stabilization and confinement of skyrmions at room tempera-ture. Here, we present a method for the capture of nanometer sized magnetic skyrmions in an arrayof magnetic topological defects in the form of an antidot lattice. With micromagnetic simulations,we elucidate the skyrmion formation in the antidot lattice and show that the capture is dependenton the antidot lattice parameters. This behavior is confirmed with scanning transmission x-ray mi-croscopy measurements. This demonstration that a magnetic antidot lattice can be implemented asa host to capture skyrmions provides a new platform for experimental investigations of skyrmionsand skyrmion based devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Extracting the Dynamic Magnetic Contrast in Time-Resolved X-ray Transmission Microscopy

Using a time-resolved detection scheme in scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) we measured element resolved ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) at microwave frequencies up to 10\,GHz and a spatial resolution down to 20\,nm at two different synchrotrons. We present different methods to separate the contribution of the background from the dynamic magnetic contrast based on the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) effect. The relative phase between the GHz microwave excitation and the X-ray pulses generated by the synchrotron, as well as the opening angle of the precession at FMR can be quantified. A detailed analysis for homogeneous and inhomogeneous magnetic excitations demonstrates that the dynamic contrast indeed behaves as the usual XMCD effect. The dynamic magnetic contrast in time-resolved STXM has the potential be a powerful tool to study the linear and non-linear magnetic excitations in magnetic micro- and nano-structures with unique spatial-temporal resolution in combination with element selectivity.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Nanoscale X-Ray Imaging of Spin Dynamics in Yttrium Iron Garnet

Time-resolved scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (TR-STXM) has been used for the direct imaging of spin wave dynamics in thin film yttrium iron garnet (YIG) with spatial resolution in the sub 100 nm range. Application of this x-ray transmission technique to single crystalline garnet films was achieved by extracting a lamella (13x5x0.185 $\mathrm{μm^3}$) of liquid phase epitaxy grown YIG thin film out of a gadolinium gallium garnet substrate. Spin waves in the sample were measured along the Damon-Eshbach and backward volume directions of propagation at gigahertz frequencies and with wavelengths in a range between 100~nm and 10~$\mathrmμ$m. The results were compared to theoretical models. Here, the widely used approximate dispersion equation for dipole-exchange spin waves proved to be insufficient for describing the observed Damon-Eshbach type modes. For achieving an accurate description, we made use of the full analytical theory taking mode-hybridization effects into account.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Coherent excitation of heterosymmetric spin waves with ultrashort wavelengths

In the emerging field of magnonics, spin waves are foreseen as signal carriers for future spintronic information processing and communication devices, owing to both the very low power losses and a high device miniaturisation potential predicted for short-wavelength spin waves. Yet, the efficient excitation and controlled propagation of nanoscale spin waves remains a severe challenge. Here, we report the observation of high-amplitude, ultrashort dipole-exchange spin waves (down to 80 nm wavelength at 10 GHz frequency) in a ferromagnetic single layer system, coherently excited by the driven dynamics of a spin vortex core. We used time-resolved x-ray microscopy to directly image such propagating spin waves and their excitation over a wide range of frequencies. By further analysis, we found that these waves exhibit a heterosymmetric mode profile, involving regions with anti-Larmor precession sense and purely linear magnetic oscillation. In particular, this mode profile consists of dynamic vortices with laterally alternating helicity, leading to a partial magnetic flux closure over the film thickness, which is explained by a strong and unexpected mode hybridisation. This spin-wave phenomenon observed is a general effect inherent to the dynamics of sufficiently thick ferromagnetic single layer films, independent of the specific excitation method employed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Emission and Propagation of Multi-Dimensional Spin Waves with nanoscale wavelengths in Anisotropic Spin Textures

Spin waves offer intriguing novel perspectives for computing and signal processing, since their damping can be lower than the Ohmic losses in conventional CMOS circuits. For controlling the spatial extent and propagation of spin waves on the actual chip, magnetic domain walls show considerable potential as magnonic waveguides. However, low-loss guidance of spin waves with nanoscale wavelengths, in particular around angled tracks, remains to be shown. Here we experimentally demonstrate that such advanced control of propagating spin waves can be obtained using natural features of magnetic order in an interlayer exchange-coupled, anisotropic ferromagnetic bilayer. Using Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy, we image generation of spin waves and their propagation across distances exceeding multiple times the wavelength, in extended planar geometries as well as along one-dimensional domain walls, which can be straight and curved. The observed range of wavelengths is between 1 μm and 150 nm, at corresponding excitation frequencies from 250 MHz to 3 GHz. Our results show routes towards practical implementation of magnonic waveguides employing domain walls in future spin wave logic and computational circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗