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Author: McGrouther, D. × Has files: Yes ×

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    Internal structure of hexagonal skyrmion lattices in cubic helimagnets
    (Milton Park : Taylor & Francis, 2016) McGrouther, D.; Lamb, R.J.; Krajnak, M.; McFadzean, S.; McVitie, S.; Stamps, R.L.; Leonov, A.O.; Bogdanov, A.N.; Togawa, Y.
    We report the most precise observations to date concerning the spin structure of magnetic skyrmions in a nanowedge specimen of cubic B20 structured FeGe. Enabled by our development of advanced differential phase contrast (DPC) imaging (in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM)) we have obtained high spatial resolution quantitative measurements of skyrmion internal spin profile. For hexagonal skyrmion lattice cells, stabilised by an out-plane applied magnetic field, mapping of the in-plane component of magnetic induction has revealed precise spin profiles and that the internal structure possesses intrinsic six-fold symmetry. With increasing field strength, the diameter of skyrmion cores was measured to decrease and accompanied by a nonlinear variation of the lattice periodicity. Variations in structure for individual skyrmions across an area of the lattice were also studied utilising a new increased sensitivity DPC detection scheme and a variety of symmetry lowering distortions were observed. To provide insight into fundamental energetics we have constructed a phenomenological model, with which our experimental observations of spin profiles and field induced core diameter variation are in good agreement with predicted structure in the middle of the nanowedge crystal. In the vicinity of the crystal surfaces, our model predicts the existence of in-plane twisting distortions which our current experimental observations were not sensitive to. As an alternative to the requirement for as yet unidentified sources of magnetic anisotropy, we demonstrate that surface states could provide the energetic stabilisation needed for predomination over the conical magnetic phase.
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    Chiral surface twists and Skyrmion stability in nanolayers of cubic helimagnets
    (College Park : American Physical Society, 2016) Leonov, A. O.; Togawa, Y.; Monchesky, T. L.; Bogdanov, A. N.; Kishine, J.; Kousaka, Y.; Miyagawa, M.; Koyama, T.; Akimitsu, J.; Koyama, Ts.; Harada, K.; Mori, S.; McGrouther, D.; Lamb, R.; Krajnak, M.; McVitie, S.; Stamps, R. L.; Inoue, K.
    Theoretical analysis and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) investigations in an FeGe wedge demonstrate that chiral twists arising near the surfaces of noncentrosymmetric ferromagnets [Meynell et al., Phys. Rev. B 90, 014406 (2014)] provide a stabilization mechanism for magnetic Skyrmion lattices and helicoids in cubic helimagnet nanolayers. The magnetic phase diagram obtained for freestanding cubic helimagnet nanolayers shows that magnetization processes differ fundamentally from those in bulk cubic helimagnets and are characterized by the first-order transitions between modulated phases. LTEM investigations exhibit a series of hysteretic transformation processes among the modulated phases, which results in the formation of the multidomain patterns.