Skyrmion-like Spin Textures Emerging in the Material Derived from Structural Frustration

Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 147, pp. 43550–43559

Abstract

Magnetic materials with complex spin textures present both fundamental and practical appeal. The complex patterns of magnetic moments emerging on underlying crystal lattices hold potential for robust information storage and processing, including the promise of topological quantum computing. The scope of materials that host such patterns, however, remains rather limited. Herein, we report a discovery of a complex spin texture in a non-centrosymmetric material that emerges from the structural frustration at the boundary between centrosym-metric parent structures. Our findings demonstrate that such structural frustration provides a powerful handle for identifying composition-al spaces where complex magnetic behavior and associated non-trivial magnetic structures are likely to emerge. Thus, the new phase MnCoGe 1/3 As 2/3 exhibits a modulated cycloidal antiferromagnetic arrangement of electron spins on a non-centrosymmetric lattice that materializes in the space between centrosymmetric collinear ferromagnets. This work provides a pathway for discovering novel materials with exotic spin textures for next-generation spintronic and quantum technologies.

Authors 12

1. Yixu Wang Aachen Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

   Florida State University · Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Slovak Academy of Sciences · RWTH Aachen University · University of Science and Technology Beijing

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

   Florida State University

   RWTH Aachen University

   School of Materials Science and Engineering

   University of Science and Technology Beijing

   Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States

   School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, P. R. China

2. Ian Campbell

   Florida State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

   Florida State University

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States

3. Zachary P. Tener

   Florida State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

   Florida State University

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States

4. Judith K. Clark

   Florida State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

   Florida State University

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States

5. Jacnel Graterol

   Florida State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

   Florida State University

   Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States

6. Andreï Rogalev

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   Affiliation as printed

   The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France

7. F. Wilhelm

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   Affiliation as printed

   The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France

8. Hu Zhang

   University of Science and Technology Beijing

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Materials Science and Engineering

   University of Science and Technology Beijing

9. Yi Long

   University of Science and Technology Beijing

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Materials Science and Engineering

   University of Science and Technology Beijing

   School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, P. R. China

10. Richard Dronskowski Aachen Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

    Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Slovak Academy of Sciences · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

    RWTH Aachen University

    Chair of Solid-State and Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany

11. Xiaoping P. Wang corresponding

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    Affiliation as printed

    Neutron Scattering Division

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States

12. Michael Shatruk corresponding

    Florida State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

    FSU Quantum Initiative

    Florida State University

    FSU Quantum Initiative, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States