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Article
Reorientations, relaxations, metastabilities, and multidomains of skyrmion lattices
Ames Laboratory Accepted Manuscripts
  • L. J. Bannenberg, Delft University of Technology
  • F. Qian, Delft University of Technology
  • R. M. Dalgliesh, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
  • N. Martin, Laboratoire Léon Brillouin
  • G. Chaboussant, Laboratoire Léon Brillouin
  • M. Schmidt, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
  • Deborah L. Schlagel, Ames Laboratory
  • Thomas A. Lograsso, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory
  • Diamond Light Source Ltd., Diamond Light Source Ltd.
  • C. Pappas, Delft University of Technology
Publication Date
11-1-2017
Department
Materials Science and Engineering; Ames Laboratory
Report Number
IS-J 9505
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevB.96.184416
Journal Title
Physical Review B
Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are nanosized topologically protected spin textures with particlelike properties. They can form lattices perpendicular to the magnetic field, and the orientation of these skyrmion lattices with respect to the crystallographic lattice is governed by spin-orbit coupling. By performing small-angle neutron scattering measurements, we investigate the coupling between the crystallographic and skyrmion lattices in both Cu2OSeO3 and the archetype chiral magnet MnSi. The results reveal that the orientation of the skyrmion lattice is primarily determined by the magnetic field direction with respect to the crystallographic lattice. In addition, it is also influenced by the magnetic history of the sample, which can induce metastable lattices. Kinetic measurements show that these metastable skyrmion lattices may or may not relax to their equilibrium positions under macroscopic relaxation times. Furthermore, multidomain lattices may form when two or more equivalent crystallographic directions are favored by spin-orbit coupling and oriented perpendicular to the magnetic field.

Language
en
Publisher
Iowa State University Digital Repository, Ames IA (United States)
Citation Information
L. J. Bannenberg, F. Qian, R. M. Dalgliesh, N. Martin, et al.. "Reorientations, relaxations, metastabilities, and multidomains of skyrmion lattices" Vol. 96 Iss. 18 (2017) p. 184416
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/thomas_lograsso/241/