Robust formation of Skyrmions and topological Hall effect anomaly in epitaxial thin films of MnSi

Yufan Li; N Kanazawa; X Z Yu; A Tsukazaki; M Kawasaki; M Ichikawa; X F Jin; F Kagawa; Y Tokura

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.117202

Robust formation of Skyrmions and topological Hall effect anomaly in epitaxial thin films of MnSi

Phys Rev Lett. 2013 Mar 15;110(11):117202. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.117202. Epub 2013 Mar 12.

Authors

Yufan Li¹, N Kanazawa², X Z Yu³, A Tsukazaki², M Kawasaki⁴, M Ichikawa², X F Jin⁵, F Kagawa², Y Tokura⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied Physics and Quantum Phase Electronics Center (QPEC), University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan and State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
² Department of Applied Physics and Quantum Phase Electronics Center (QPEC), University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
³ Cross-Correlated Materials Research Group (CMRG) and Correlated Electron Research Group (CERG), RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Wako 351-0198, Japan.
⁴ Department of Applied Physics and Quantum Phase Electronics Center (QPEC), University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan and Cross-Correlated Materials Research Group (CMRG) and Correlated Electron Research Group (CERG), RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Wako 351-0198, Japan.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.

PMID: 25166569
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.117202

Abstract

Magnetotransport properties have been investigated for epitaxial thin films of B20-type MnSi grown on Si(111) substrates. Lorentz transmission electron microscopy images clearly point to the robust formation of Skyrmions over a wide temperature-magnetic field region. New features distinct from those reported previously for MnSi are observed for epitaxial films: a shorter (nearly half) period of the spin helix and Skyrmions, and a topological Hall effect anomaly consisting in ∼2.2 times enhancement of the amplitude and in the opposite sign with respect to bulk samples.