Anisotropy driven response of skyrmion lattice in MnSc${}_2$S${}_4$ to applied magnetic fields

Abstract

We theoretically and experimentally study the stability of the unconventional fractional antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattice (AF-SkL) in Mn${}_2$S${}_4$ spinel under magnetic fields applied along the $[$1-10$]$ crystal direction. By performing numerical Monte Carlo simulations for the minimal effective spin model that we proposed in Ref. [S. Gao, et al., Nature 586, 37-41 (2020)], we show that the skyrmion lattice is aligned within the equivalent and symmetric $[$1-11$]$ or $[$1-11$]$ planes, which are equally inclined to the applied magnetic field. We attribute this behavior to the magnetic anisotropy of the host material. Neutron single crystal diffraction presents a very good agreement with the predictions of the effective model. It reveals that the topological spin texture gets destabilized at low temperatures and moderate magnetic fields and is replaced by a conical phase for B// $[$1-10$]$. The present study elucidates the central role of the magnetic anisotropy in the stabilization of antiferromagnetic skyrmionic states.

arXiv commentAccepted in PRB

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• Stabilization mechanisms of magnetic skyrmion crystal and multiple-$Q$ states based on momentum-resolved spin interactions
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• Skyrmion fluid and bimeron glass protected by a chiral spin liquid on a kagome lattice
• Anisotropic spin model and multiple-$Q$ states in cubic systems
• Ferrochiral, antiferrochiral, and ferrichiral skyrmion crystals in an itinerant honeycomb magnet
• From chiral spin liquids to skyrmion fluids and crystals, and their interplay with itinerant electrons
• A spin model for intrinsic antiferromagnetic skyrmions on a triangular lattice
• Antiferro skyrmion crystal phases in a synthetic bilayer antiferromagnet under an in-plane magnetic field
• Frustration-driven topological textures on the honeycomb lattice: antiferromagnetic meron-antimeron and skyrmion crystals emerging from spiral spin liquids
• Skyrmion-skyrmion interaction induced by itinerant electrons in a ferromagnetic strip
• Probing Random-Bond Disorder Effects on Ferromagnetic Skyrmion Arrays
• Contrasting magnetic behavior in MnSc_2X_4 (X = S, Se) spinel compounds investigated by magnetoelastic studies
• Codimension-Two Spiral Spin-Liquid in the Effective Honeycomb-Lattice Compound Cs${}_3$Fe${}_2$Cl${}_9$
• L-point quadrupole order under magnetic field in cubic PrIr${}_2$Zn${}_{20}$
• Interplay of electric and magnetic fields in skyrmion phases of the classical Heisenberg model on a square lattice
• Field-tunable quadruple-$Q$ states driven by momentum-space frustration