Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Observation of two independent skyrmion phases in a chiral magnetic material
 
research article

Observation of two independent skyrmion phases in a chiral magnetic material

Chacon, A.
•
Heinen, L.
•
Halder, M.
Show more
September 1, 2018
Nature Physics

Magnetic materials can host skyrmions, which are topologically non-trivial spin textures. In chiral magnets with cubic lattice symmetry, all previously observed skyrmion phases require thermal fluctuations to become thermodynamically stable in bulk materials, and therefore exist only at relatively high temperature, close to the helimagnetic transition temperature. Other stabilization mechanisms require a lowering of the cubic crystal symmetry. Here, we report the identification of a second skyrmion phase in Cu2OSeO3 at low temperature and in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The new skyrmion phase is thermodynamically disconnected from the well-known, nearly isotropic, high-temperature phase, and exists, in contrast, when the external magnetic field is oriented along the < 100 > crystal axis only. Theoretical modelling provides evidence that the stabilization mechanism is given by well-known cubic anisotropy terms, and accounts for an additional observation of metastable helices tilted away from the applied field. The identification of two distinct skyrmion phases in the same material and the generic character of the underlying mechanism suggest a new avenue for the discovery, design and manipulation of topological spin textures.

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1038/s41567-018-0184-y
Web of Science ID

WOS:000443584000026

Author(s)
Chacon, A.
Heinen, L.
Halder, M.
Bauer, A.
Simeth, W.
Muehlbauer, S.
Berger, H.  
Garst, M.
Rosch, A.
Pfleiderer, C.
Date Issued

2018-09-01

Published in
Nature Physics
Volume

14

Issue

9

Start page

936

End page

941

Subjects

Physics, Multidisciplinary

•

Physics

•

room-temperature

•

lattice

•

transition

•

monopoles

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LPMC  
Available on Infoscience
December 13, 2018
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/152434
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés