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Disordered skyrmion phase stabilized by magnetic frustration in a chiral magnet

Type of publication Peer-reviewed
Publikationsform Original article (peer-reviewed)
Author Karube Kosuke, White Jonathan S., Morikawa Daisuke, Dewhurst Charles D., Cubitt Robert, Kikkawa Akiko, Yu Xiuzhen, Tokunaga Yusuke, Arima Taka-hisa, Rønnow Henrik M., Tokura Yoshinori, Taguchi Yasujiro,
Project Discovery and Nanoengineering of Novel Skyrmion-hosting Materials
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Original article (peer-reviewed)

Journal Science Advances
Volume (Issue) 4(9)
Page(s) eaar7043 - eaar7043
Title of proceedings Science Advances
DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aar7043

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are vortex-like topological spin textures often observed to form a triangular-lattice skyrmion crystal in structurally chiral magnets with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Recently, β-Mn structure–type Co-Zn-Mn alloys were identified as a new class of chiral magnet to host such skyrmion crystal phases, while β-Mn itself is known as hosting an elemental geometrically frustrated spin liquid. We report the intermediate composition system Co 7 Zn 7 Mn 6 to be a unique host of two disconnected, thermal-equilibrium topological skyrmion phases; one is a conventional skyrmion crystal phase stabilized by thermal fluctuations and restricted to exist just below the magnetic transition temperature Tc , and the other is a novel three-dimensionally disordered skyrmion phase that is stable well below Tc . The stability of this new disordered skyrmion phase is due to a cooperative interplay between the chiral magnetism with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and the frustrated magnetism inherent to β-Mn.
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