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At least 217 records · Page 12

Dynamics and Formation of Antiferromagnetic Textures in MnBi 2 Te 4 Single Crystal

We report coherent X-ray imaging of antiferromagnetic (AFM) domains and domain walls in MnBi 2 Te 4 , an intrinsic AFM topological insulator. This technique enables direct visualization of domain morphology without reconstruction algorithms, allowing us to resolve antiphase domain walls as distinct dark lines arising from the A-type AFM structure. The wall width is determined to be 550(30) nm, in good agreement with earlier magnetic force microscopy results. The temperature dependence of the AFM order parameter extracted from our images closely follows previous neutron scattering data. Remarkably, however, we find a pronounced hysteresis in the evolution of domains and domain walls: upon cooling, dynamic reorganizations occur within a narrow ∼1 K interval below 𝑇 𝑁 , whereas upon warming, the domain configuration remains largely unchanged until AFM order disappears. These findings reveal a complex energy landscape in MnBi 2 Te 4 , governed by the interplay of exchange, anisotropy, and domain-wall energies, and underscore the critical role of AFM domain-wall dynamics in shaping its physical properties. These sharply defined and hysteretically evolving walls may provide a controllable AFM texture in MnBi 2 Te 4 , hinting at potential use in low-power spintronic devices based on domain-wall dynamics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Texture-inducible substrate

A texture-inducible substrate includes a backplate, a deformable membrane positioned in front of the backplate to form a gap therebetween, and a ferrofluid contained in the gap. The substrate also includes an electromagnet positioned on the backplate to induce, when activated, a local volume of the ferrofluid to expand in volume and increase in viscosity so as to locally deform and raise an adjacent section of the deformable membrane.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Bedrock architecture, soil texture, and hyporheic zone characterization combining electrical resistivity and induced polarization imaging

The shallow (<15 m depth) subsurface environment of a short reach along a bedrock stream was investigated with electrical resistivity and induced polarization (IP) to map details of bedrock and soil sediments. The bedrock is mostly comprised of limestone, and is generally resistive compared to the overlying soil. The soil-bedrock interface was determined through a trial and error approach using a sharp boundary feature in the inversion model. The inferred bedrock surface determined from the inversions exhibited undulating patterns with troughs and ridges. A near continuous trough ran alongside the stream within the floodplain, and is suggestive of a paleochannel among other interpretations of this feature. The structure of the electrical resistivity above the bedrock showed small-scale elongated features. The chargeability from the IP method showed larger scale features. High values of chargeability were associated with the sediments in the floodplain, and low values were associated with bedrock, stream, and soil on the elevated banks above the stream. If the chargeability is associated with membrane polarization characteristic of clayey soils, then IP seems to highlight the mere existence of clay, while the resistivity may be more discernable of the relative proportion of clay. Vegetation differences may also explain the chargeability distribution, where parts of the survey with high chargeability had dense pine with no understory making the soils more organically rich.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Static and dynamic topological defects in the domain textures in the helical antiferromagnet Ni 2 ⁢CoTeO 6

Real-space Bragg coherent x-ray-diffractive imaging unveils the formation of bubble and stripe antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase domains on the surface of Ni 2 ⁢CoTeO 6 single crystal. The stripe domains exhibit dislocation-type topological defects. The defects typically form as defect-antidefect pairs and can be created or annihilated by temperature changes and local heating. Thermal fluctuations of the AFM domain walls are observed near the Néel temperature. Topological defect pairs dynamically form and disappear in the fluctuating state. These observations provide a real-space perspective on the dynamics of the AFM phase transition in a helical antiferromagnet. Finally, the remarkable tunability of AFM domain walls in a helical antiferromagnet underscores their potential for AFM spintronics applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Correlation between complex spin textures and the magnetocaloric and Hall effects in Eu⁢(Ga 1−𝑥 ⁢Al 𝑥 ) 4 (𝑥=0.9, 1)

Determining the electronic phase diagram of a quantum material as a function of temperature (𝑇) and applied magnetic field (𝐻) forms the basis for understanding the microscopic origin of transport properties, such as the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and topological Hall effect (THE). For many magnetic quantum materials, including Eu⁢Al 4 , a THE arises from a topologically protected magnetic skyrmion lattice with a nonzero scalar spin chirality. We identified a square skyrmion lattice (sSkL) peak in Eu⁢(Ga 1−𝑥 ⁢Al 𝑥 ) 4 (𝑥=0.9) identical to the peak previously observed in Eu⁢Al 4 by performing neutron-scattering measurements throughout the phase diagram. Here, comparing these neutron results with transport measurements, we found that in both compounds the maximal THE does not correspond to the sSkL area. Instead of the maximal THE, the maximal magnetocaloric-effect boundaries better identify the sSkL lattice phase observed by neutron-scattering measurements. The maximal THE therefore arises from interactions of itinerant electrons with frustrated spin fluctuations in a topologically trivial magnetic state.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Mapping of Texture and Phase Fractions in Heterogeneous Stress States during Multiaxial Loading of Biomedical Superelastic NiTi

Thermoelastic deformation mechanisms in polycrystalline biomedical-grade superelastic NiTi are spatially mapped using in situ neutron diffraction during multiaxial loading and heating. The trigonal R-phase is formed from the cubic phase during cooling to room temperature and subsequently deforms in compression, tension, and torsion. The resulting R-phase variant microstructure from the variant reorientation and detwinning processes are equivalent for the corresponding strain in tension and compression, and the variant microstructure is reversible by isothermal loading. The R-phase variant microstructure is consistent between uniaxial and torsional loading when the principal stress directions of the stress state are considered (for the crystallographic directions observed here). The variant microstructure evolution is tracked and the similarity in general behavior between uniaxial and torsional loading, in spite of the implicit heterogeneous stress state associated with torsional loading, pointed to the ability of the reversible thermoelastic transformation in NiTi to accommodate stress and strain mismatch with deformation. This ability of the R-phase, despite its limited variants, to accommodate stress and strain and satisfy strain incompatibility in addition to the existing internal stresses has significance for reducing irrecoverable deformation mechanisms during loading and cycling through the phase transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Designed Spin‐Texture‐Lattice to Control Anisotropic Magnon Transport in Antiferromagnets

Abstract Spin waves in magnetic materials are promising information carriers for future computing technologies due to their ultra‐low energy dissipation and long coherence length. Antiferromagnets are strong candidate materials due, in part, to their stability to external fields and larger group velocities. Multiferroic antiferromagnets, such as BiFeO 3 (BFO), have an additional degree of freedom stemming from magnetoelectric coupling, allowing for control of the magnetic structure, and thus spin waves, with the electric field. Unfortunately, spin‐wave propagation in BFO is not well understood due to the complexity of the magnetic structure. In this work, long‐range spin transport is explored within an epitaxially engineered, electrically tunable, 1D magnonic crystal. A striking anisotropy is discovered in the spin transport parallel and perpendicular to the 1D crystal axis. Multiscale theory and simulation suggest that this preferential magnon conduction emerges from a combination of a population imbalance in its dispersion, as well as anisotropic structural scattering. This work provides a pathway to electrically reconfigurable magnonic crystals in antiferromagnets.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗