Anisotropy driven response of skyrmion lattice in MnSc2S4 to applied magnetic fields

H. D. ROSALES; F. A. GÓMEZ ALBARRACÍN; K. GURATINDER; V. TSURKAN; L. PRODAN; E. RESSOUCHE; O. ZAHARKO

PHYSICAL REVIEW B

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2022

1098-0121

We theoretically and experimentally study the stability of the unconventional fractional antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattice (AF-SkL) in Mn2S4 spinel under magnetic fields applied along the[1-10] crystal direction. By performing numerical Monte Carlo simulations for the minimal effectivespin model that we proposed in Ref. [S. Gao, et al., Nature 586, 37-41 (2020)], we show that theskyrmion lattice is aligned within the equivalent and symmetric [1-11] or [1-11] planes, which areequally inclined to the applied magnetic field. We attribute this behavior to the magnetic anisotropyof the host material. Neutron single crystal diffraction presents a very good agreement with thepredictions of the effective model. It reveals that the topological spin texture gets destabilized atlow 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 ofantiferromagnetic skyrmionic states.