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Single-ion anisotropy-stabilized short-period helimagnetism in frustrated chiral Co$_5$TeO$_8$
Authors:
Priya R. Baral,
Ravi Yadav,
Victor Ukleev,
Thomas LaGrange,
Ivica Živković,
Wen Hua Bi,
Marek Bartkowiak,
Robert Cubitt,
Nina-Juliane Steinke,
Vladimir Pomjakushin,
Yurii Skourski,
Henrik M. Rønnow,
Oleg V. Yazyev,
Arnaud Magrez,
Jonathan S. White
Abstract:
Chiral spin textures in magnetic insulators promise magneto-electric (ME) spintronics with orders-of-magnitude lower power consumption than metallic systems. However, realizing the short magnetic periods required for high-density device integration remains difficult, as conventional Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI)-based mechanisms typically constrain spiral periods to tens of nanometers. W…
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Chiral spin textures in magnetic insulators promise magneto-electric (ME) spintronics with orders-of-magnitude lower power consumption than metallic systems. However, realizing the short magnetic periods required for high-density device integration remains difficult, as conventional Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI)-based mechanisms typically constrain spiral periods to tens of nanometers. While theory predicts that strong single-ion anisotropy (SIA) on frustrated lattices can stabilize complex non-coplanar textures, the potential for using this mechanism to engineer such compact textures remains largely unexplored. Here we report that a cubic chiral insulator Co$_5$TeO$_8$ provides an experimental example of this paradigm. Comprehensive neutron scattering and magnetometry reveal helimagnetic spirals with continuously tunable pitch of 5.7-10 nm embedded in a complex phase diagram spanning eight distinct phases. Capacitance anomalies throughout the phase diagram indicate magneto-electric coupling, pointing to the possibility of future $E$-field control of these textures. The temperature- and field-dependence of the helical wavevector strongly support a scenario in which site-dependent SIA provides the leading contribution to the selection of the helical period from a frustration-induced degenerate manifold. Consistent with this interpretation, $ab\,initio$ calculations place SIA approximately an order of magnitude above DMI, distinct from conventional helimagnets. Co$_5$TeO$_8$ thus offers an experimental realization of sub-10 nm helimagnetism and motivates a design principle for anisotropy-engineered correlated insulators.
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Submitted 4 June, 2026; v1 submitted 17 December, 2025;
originally announced December 2025.
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Cu2OSeO3 Turns Trigonal with Structural Transformation and Implications for Skyrmions
Authors:
Alla Arakcheeva,
Priya Ranjan Baral,
Wen Hua Bi,
Christian Jandl,
Oleg Janson,
Arnaud Magrez
Abstract:
The formation and characteristics of magnetic skyrmions are strongly governed by the symmetry of the underlying crystal structure. In this study, we report the discovery of a new trigonal polymorph of Cu2OSeO3, observed exclusively in nanoparticles. Electron diffraction and density functional theory calculations confirm its R3m space group, sharing C3v symmetry with Néel-type skyrmion hosts. This…
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The formation and characteristics of magnetic skyrmions are strongly governed by the symmetry of the underlying crystal structure. In this study, we report the discovery of a new trigonal polymorph of Cu2OSeO3, observed exclusively in nanoparticles. Electron diffraction and density functional theory calculations confirm its R3m space group, sharing C3v symmetry with Néel-type skyrmion hosts. This polymorph is likely stabilized by surface effects, suggesting that size-induced structural changes may drive a transformation from Bloch-type to Neel-type skyrmions in Cu2OSeO3. This hypothesis is consistent with prior unexplained observations of Neel-type skyrmions at the surfaces of bulk crystals, which may result from surface-specific structural distortions. Overall, these findings provide insights into the interplay between size, structure, and magnetism, opening pathways for controlling skyrmionic properties in nanoscale systems.
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Submitted 11 August, 2025;
originally announced August 2025.
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Structure, heat capacity and Raman spectra of mm-sized Ba$_{2}$MgWO$_{6}$ single crystals synthesized by BaCl$_{2}$-MgCl$_{2}$ flux method
Authors:
Jana Pásztorová,
Wen Hua Bi,
Richard Gaal,
Karl Krämer,
Ivica Živković,
Henrik M. Rønnow
Abstract:
We present a new method of Ba$_{2}$MgWO$_{6}$ single crystal synthesis that allows to grow larger crystals using BaCl$_{2}$ and MgCl$_{2}$ flux. Difficulties to grow single crystal of a size suitable for macroscopic material property measurements caused the majority of characterisation being published on polycrystalline samples. Single crystal diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis confi…
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We present a new method of Ba$_{2}$MgWO$_{6}$ single crystal synthesis that allows to grow larger crystals using BaCl$_{2}$ and MgCl$_{2}$ flux. Difficulties to grow single crystal of a size suitable for macroscopic material property measurements caused the majority of characterisation being published on polycrystalline samples. Single crystal diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed high quality of synthesised samples. Heat capacity measurements from 300~K to 2~K do not show any transitions. However, Raman spectra measured down to 77~K contain additional peaks at all temperatures probed, which is in a contrast with only 4 Raman active modes expected from the reducible representation. This calls for a more detailed study of potential symmetry breaking that could also influence the electronic properties of the material.
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Submitted 12 December, 2022;
originally announced December 2022.