2020/07/05 by Nirmal J. Ghimire, Rebecca L. Dally, L. Poudel +9 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.1126/sciadv.abe2680
published as Science Advances 6, eabe2680 (2020)
arxiv created 2020/07/05 · arxiv updated 2020/12/22
Identification, understanding, and manipulation of novel magnetic textures is essential for the discovery of new quantum materials for future spin-based electronic devices. In particular, materials that manifest a large response to external stimuli such as a magnetic field are subject to intense investigation. Here, we study the kagome-net magnet YMn6Sn6 by magnetometry, transport, and neutron diffraction measurements combined with first principles calculations. We identify a number of nontrivial magnetic phases, explain their microscopic nature, and demonstrate that one of them hosts a large topological Hall effect (THE). We propose a new nematic chirality mechanism, reminiscent of the nematicity in Fe-based superconductors, which leads to the THE at elevated temperatures. This interesting physics comes from parametrically frustrated interplanar exchange interactions that trigger strong magnetic fluctuations. Our results pave a path to new chiral spin textures, promising for novel spintronics.