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Investigating skyrmions using muon-spin spectroscopy

ORAL

Abstract

We present the results of muon-spin relaxation measurements on materials hosting a skyrmion lattice (SkL) phase. We argue that the muon is primarily sensitive to the dynamics of the SkL and we have used this property to probe the local magnetism of several distinct skyrmion systems. Here we discuss our recent results on the effect of disorder on the Néel-skyrmion system GaV4S(8-y)Sey [1], where we have used low-level substitution to assess the stability of the SkL. We also discuss Zn-substituted Cu2OSeO3, where we show that the splitting of the SkL phase that was previously reported is only observed in polycrystalline samples and reflects the occurrence of several coexisting phases with different Zn content, each distinguished by different magnetic behavior [2]. We support our results with density functional theory calculations of the muon stopping states, that allow us an additional insight into the local environment of the muon probe.

[1] K.J.A. Franke et al., Phys. Rev. B 98, 054428 (2018).
[2] A. Stefancic et al., Phys. Rev. Mat. 2, 111402(R) (2018).

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Presenters

  • Tom Lancaster

    Durham University, Centre for Materials Physics, Durham University, Physics, University of Durham, Physics, Durham University

Authors

  • Tom Lancaster

    Durham University, Centre for Materials Physics, Durham University, Physics, University of Durham, Physics, Durham University

  • Geetha Balakrishnan

    University of Warwick, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Physics, University of Warwick, Physics Department, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom

  • Stephen Blundell

    Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, University of Oxford, Physics, University of Oxford

  • Matjaz Gomilsek

    Durham University, Jozef Stefan Institute

  • Thomas Hicken

    Durham University, Centre for Materials Physics, Durham University, Physics, Durham University

  • Benjamin Huddart

    Durham University, Physics, Durham University

  • Ales Stefancic

    University of Warwick, Paul Scherrer Institut

  • Murray N Wilson

    Physics, Durham University