First-Order Magnetic Transitions and Metastability in the Néel Skyrmion Lattice Host GaV<sub>4</sub>S<sub>8</sub>

ORAL

Abstract

The lacunar spinel GaV4S8 is a unique example of a polar noncentrosymmetric magnetic material which hosts an achiral Néel skyrmion lattice (SkL) below TC ~ 13 K. Until recently, the bulk SkL phase was experimentally observed only in chiral crystals. In contrast to its chiral counterparts, the Néel SkL, which is described as a superposition of spin cycloids, is stable over a relatively large temperature and magnetic field range. While its proximity to TC suggests that thermal fluctuations play a role in stabilization of the SkL, the phase evolution is not well understood. In this study, a detailed analysis of the phase transitions in a GaV4S8 single crystal are investigated. The linear and nonlinear components of the ac susceptibility as a function of temperature and magnetic field are examined for a frequency range, f = 11 – 10 ,000 Hz. Particularly, the metastability of the spin cycloid and SkL states are investigated via field history experiments. The hysteretic behavior of the first-order metamagnetic cycloid to SkL transition is presented via complementary dc and ac susceptibility measurements.

*Research at University of South Florida supported by U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Award No. DE-FG02-07ER4638

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Presenters

  • Eleanor Clements

    • Univ of South Florida

Authors

  • Eleanor Clements

    • Univ of South Florida

  • Raja Das

    • Applied Physics, University of South Florida
    • Univ of South Florida
    • Physics, Univ of South Florida

  • Ganesh Pokharel

    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee
    • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • David Mandrus

    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee
    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee
    • University of Tennessee
    • Materials Science and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee
    • Material Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oakridge National Laboratory
    • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • Hariharan Srikanth

    • Applied Physics, University of South Florida
    • Univ of South Florida
    • Physics Department, University of South Florida
    • Physics, Univ of South Florida

  • Manh-Huong Phan

    • Applied Physics, University of South Florida
    • Univ of South Florida
    • Physics, Univ of South Florida