Growth and Characterization of Metamagnetic Transitions in Gd₂PdSi₃

Recent work has drawn attention to the apparent magnetic skyrmion lattice behavior in Gd₂PdSi₃. In intermediate fields, it displays substantially larger Hall resistivity than most other known magnetic skyrmion materials. We discuss the growth of Gd₂PdSi₃ and the use of resonant ultrasound spectroscopy to probe the symmetry of its metamagnetic phase transitions. With RUS we can determine a substance’s elastic moduli from its mechanical resonances. As the material undergoes a phase transition, the response of the different elastic moduli reveals the symmetry of the order parameter. By further characterizing Gd₂PdSi₃’s symmetries, we hope to further our understanding of its skyrmionic behavior.