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A modulation of intensity with zero effort (MIEZE) setup is proposed for high-resolution neutron spectroscopy at momentum transfers up to 3 Å−1, energy transfers up to 20 meV and an energy resolution in the microelectronvolt range using both thermal and cold neutrons. MIEZE has two prominent advantages compared with classical neutron spin echo. The first is the possibility to investigate spin-depolarizing samples or samples in strong magnetic fields without loss of signal amplitude and intensity. This allows for the study of spin fluctuations in ferromagnets, and facilitates the study of samples with strong spin-incoherent scattering. The second advantage is that multi-analyzer setups can be implemented with comparatively little effort. The use of thermal neutrons increases the range of validity of the spin-echo approximation towards shorter spin-echo times. In turn, the thermal MIEZE option for greater ranges (TIGER) closes the gap between classical neutron spin-echo spectroscopy and conventional high-resolution neutron spectroscopy techniques such as triple-axis, time-of-flight and back-scattering. To illustrate the feasibility of TIGER, this paper presents the details of its implementation at the RESEDA beamline at FRM II by means of an additional velocity selector, polarizer and analyzer.

Datasets shown in the article "Quantum Oscillations of the Quasiparticle Lifetime in a Metal" published in Nature.

Mesoscale patterns as observed, e.g., in ferromagnets, ferroelectrics, superconductors, mono-molecular films, or block-copolymers, reflect spatial variations of a pertinent order parameter at length- and time-scales that may be described classically. This raises the question for the relevance of mesoscale patterns near zero temperature phase transitions, also known as quantum phase transitions (QPTs). Here we report the magnetic susceptibility of LiHoF$_4$ -- a dipolar Ising ferromagnet -- near a well-understood transverse-field quantum critical point (TF-QCP). When tilting the magnetic field away from the hard axis such that the Ising symmetry is always broken, a line of well-defined phase transitions emerges from the TF-QCP characteristic of an additional symmetry breaking, in stark contrast to a crossover expected microscopically. We show that a continuous suppression of ferromagnetic domains, representing a breaking of translation symmetry on mesoscopic scales in an environment of broken magnetic Ising symmetry on microscopic scales, is in excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement with the field- and temperature dependence of the susceptibility and the magnetic phase diagram of LiHoF$_4$ under tilted field. This identifies a new type of phase transition that may be referred to as mesocale quantum criticality, which emanates from the text-book example of a microscopic ferromagnetic TF-QCP. Our results establish the surroundings of QPTs as a regime of mesoscale pattern formation, where non-analytical quantum dynamics and materials properties without classical analogue may be expected.

We performed neutron imaging of ferromagnetic transitions in Ni(3)Al and HgCr(2)Se(4) crystals. These neutron depolarization measurements revealed bulk magnetic inhomogeneities in the ferromagnetic transition temperature with spatial resolution of about 100 μm. To obtain such spatial resolution, we employed a novel neutron microscope equipped with Wolter mirrors as a neutron image-forming lens and a focusing neutron guide as a neutron condenser lens. The images of Ni(3)Al show that the sample does not homogeneously go through the ferromagnetic transition; the improved resolution allowed us to identify a distribution of small grains with slightly off-stoichiometric composition. Additionally, neutron depolarization imaging experiments on the chrome spinel, HgCr(2)Se(4), under pressures up to 15 kbar highlight the advantages of the new technique especially for small samples or sample environments with restricted sample space. The improved spatial resolution enables one to observe domain formation in the sample while decreasing the acquisition time despite having a bulky pressure cell in the beam.

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) has an impact on excited spin waves in the chiral magnet ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}{\mathrm{OSeO}}_{3}$ by means of introducing asymmetry in their dispersion relations. The confined eigenmodes of a chiral magnet are hence no longer the conventional standing spin waves. Here we report a combined experimental and micromagnetic modeling study by broadband microwave spectroscopy, and we observe confined spin waves up to eleventh order in bulk ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}{\mathrm{OSeO}}_{3}$ in the field-polarized state. In micromagnetic simulations we find similarly rich spectra. They indicate the simultaneous excitation of both dipole- and exchange-dominated spin waves with wavelengths down to ($47.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05$) nm attributed to the exchange interaction modulation. Our results suggest the DMI to be effective in creating exchange spin waves in a bulk sample without the challenging nanofabrication and thereby in exploring their scattering with noncollinear spin textures.

The interactions between elementary excitations such as phonons, plasmons, magnons, or particle-hole pairs, drive emergent functionalities and electronic instabilities such as multiferroic behaviour, anomalous thermoelectric properties, polar order, or superconductivity. Whereas various hybrid excitations have been studied extensively, the feed-back of prototypical elementary excitations on the crystal electric fields (CEF), defining the environment in which the elementary excitations arise, has been explored for very strong coupling only. We report high-resolution neutron spectroscopy and ab-initio phonon calculations of {\ceaual}, an archetypal fluctuating valence compound. The high resolution of our data allows us to quantify the energy scales of three coupling mechanisms between phonons, CEF-split localized 4f electron states, and conduction electrons. Although these interactions do not appear to be atypically strong for this class of materials, we resolve, for the first time, a profound renormalization of low-energy quasiparticle excitations on all levels. The key anomalies of the spectrum we observe comprise (1) the formation of a CEF-phonon bound state with a comparatively low density of acoustic phonons reminiscent of vibronic modes observed in other materials, where they require a pronounced abundance of optical phonons, (2) an anti-crossing of CEF states and acoustic phonons, and (3) a strong broadening of CEF states due to the hybridization with more itinerant excitations. The fact that all of these features are well resolved in CeAuAl$_3$ suggests that similar hybrid excitations should also be dominant in a large family of related materials. This promises a predictive understanding towards the discovery of new magneto-elastic functionalities and instabilities., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures

Iron silicide (FeSi) is a fascinating material that has attracted extensive research efforts for decades, notably revealing unusual temperature-dependent electronic and magnetic characteristics, as well as a close resemblance to the Kondo insulators whereby a coherent picture of intrinsic properties and underlying physics remains to be fully developed. For a better understanding of this narrow-gap semiconductor, we prepared and examined FeSi(110) single-crystal surfaces of high quality. Combined insights from low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations (DFT) indicate an unreconstructed surface termination presenting rows of Fe-Si pairs. Using high-resolution tunneling spectroscopy (STS), we identify a distinct asymmetric electronic gap in the sub-10 K regime on defect-free terraces. Moreover, the STS data reveal a residual density of states in the gap regime whereby two in-gap states are recognized. The principal origin of these features is rationalized with the help of the DFT-calculated band structure. The computational modeling of a (110)-oriented slab notably evidences the existence of interfacial intragap bands accounting for a markedly increased density of states around the Fermi level. These findings support and provide further insight into the emergence of surface metallicity in the low-temperature regime.

Magnetic materials can host skyrmions, which are topologically non-trivial spin textures. In chiral magnets with cubic lattice symmetry, all previously-observed skyrmion phases require thermal fluctuations to become thermodynamically stable in bulk materials, and therefore exist only at relatively high temperature, close to the helimagnetic transition temperature. Other stabilization mechanisms require a lowering of the cubic crystal symmetry. Here, we report the identification of a second skyrmion phase in Cu$_{2}$OSeO$_{3}$ at low temperature and in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The new skyrmion phase is thermodynamically disconnected from the well-known, nearly-isotropic, high-temperature phase, and exists, in contrast, when the external magnetic field is oriented along the $\langle100\rangle$ crystal axis only. Theoretical modelling provides evidence that the stabilization mechanism is given by well-known cubic anisotropy terms, and accounts for an additional observation of metastable helices tilted away from the applied field. The identification of two distinct skyrmion phases in the same material and the generic character of the underlying mechanism suggest a new avenue for the discovery, design, and manipulation of topological spin textures.

We report a method to determine the phase and amplitude of sinusoidally modulated event rates, binned into four bins per oscillation, based on data generated at the resonant neutron spin-echo spectrometer RESEDA. The presented algorithm relies on a reconstruction of the unknown parameters. It omits a calculation intensive fitting procedure and avoids contrast reduction due to averaging effects. It allows the current data acquisition bottleneck at RESEDA to be relaxed by a factor of four and thus increases the potential time resolution of the detector by the same factor. We explain the approach in detail and compare it to the established fitting procedures of time series having four and 16 time bins per oscillation. In addition we present the empirical estimates of the errors of the three methods and compare them to each other. We show that the reconstruction is unbiased, asymptotic, and efficient for estimating the phase. Reconstructing the contrast increases the error bars by roughly 10% as compared to fitting 16 time binned oscillations. Finally, we give heuristic, analytical equations to estimate the error for phase and contrast as a function of their initial values and counting statistics., 15 pages, 5 figures, published in Journal of Applied Crystallography

We experimentally study the tunability of the cooperativity in coupled spin-cavity systems by changing the magnetic state of the spin system via an external control parameter. As a model system, we use the skyrmion host material Cu2OSeO3 coupled to a microwave cavity resonator. We measure a dispersive coupling between the resonator and magnon modes in different magnetic phases of the material and model our results by using the input-output formalism. Our results show a strong tunability of the normalized coupling rate by magnetic field, allowing us to change the magnon-photon cooperativity from 1 to 60 at the phase boundaries of the skyrmion lattice state.

In the cubic chiral magnet Cu_{2}OSeO_{3} a low-temperature skyrmion state (LTS) and a concomitant tilted conical state are observed for magnetic fields parallel to ⟨100⟩. Here, we report on the dynamic resonances of these novel magnetic states. After promoting the nucleation of the LTS by means of field cycling, we apply broadband microwave spectroscopy in two experimental geometries that provide either predominantly in-plane or out-of-plane excitation. By comparing the results to linear spin-wave theory, we clearly identify resonant modes associated with the tilted conical state, the gyrational and breathing modes associated with the LTS, as well as the hybridization of the breathing mode with a dark octupole gyration mode mediated by the magnetocrystalline anisotropies. Most intriguingly, our findings suggest that under decreasing fields the hexagonal skyrmion lattice becomes unstable with respect to an oblique deformation, reflected in the formation of elongated skyrmions.

Recent progress in neutron spin-echo spectroscopy by means of longitudinal Modulation of IntEnsity with Zero Effort (MIEZE) is reviewed. Key technical characteristics are summarized which highlight that the parameter range accessible in momentum and energy, as well as its limitations, are extremely well understood and controlled. Typical experimental data comprising quasi-elastic and inelastic scattering are presented, featuring magneto-elastic coupling and crystal field excitations in Ho2Ti2O7, the skyrmion lattice to paramagnetic transition under applied magnetic field in MnSi, ferromagnetic criticality and spin waves in Fe. In addition bench marking studies of the molecular dynamics in H2O are reported. Taken together, the advantages of MIEZE spectroscopy in studies at small and intermediate momentum transfers comprise an exceptionally wide dynamic range of over seven orders of magnitude, the capability to perform straight forward studies on depolarizing samples or under depolarizing sample environments, as well as on incoherently scattering materials., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures

We present the design of a compact AC susceptometer for studies under arbitrarily oriented static magnetic fields, in particular magnetic fields oriented transverse to the AC excitation field. The small size of the susceptometer permits versatile use in conventional cryostats with superconducting magnet systems. The design of the susceptometer minimizes parasitic signal contributions while providing excellent thermal anchoring suitable for measurements in a wide range down to very low temperatures. The performance is illustrated by means of measurements of the transverse susceptibility at the magnetic field tuned quantum phase transition of the dipolar-coupled Ising ferromagnet LiHoF$_4$.

The availability of large high-quality single crystals is an important prerequisite for many studies in solid-state research. The optical floating-zone technique is an elegant method to grow such crystals, offering potential to prepare samples that may be hardly accessible with other techniques. As elaborated in this report, examples include single crystals with intentional compositional gradients, deliberate off-stoichiometry, or complex metallurgy. For the cubic chiral magnets Mn$_{1-x}$Fe$_{x}$Si and Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$Si, we prepared single crystals in which the composition was varied during growth from $x = 0 - 0.15$ and from $x = 0.1 - 0.3$, respectively. Such samples allowed us to efficiently study the evolution of the magnetic properties as a function of composition, as demonstrated by means of neutron scattering. For the archetypical chiral magnet MnSi and the itinerant antiferromagnet CrB$_{2}$, we grew single crystals with varying initial manganese (0.99 to 1.04) and boron (1.95 to 2.1) content. Measurements of the low-temperature properties addressed the correlation between magnetic transition temperature and sample quality. Furthermore, we prepared single crystals of the diborides ErB$_{2}$, MnB$_{2}$, and VB$_{2}$. In addition to high vapor pressures, these materials suffer from peritectic formation, potential decomposition, and high melting temperature, respectively., Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures

Following over a decade of intense efforts to enable major progress in spintronics devices and quantum information technology by means of materials in which the electronic structure exhibits non-trivial topological properties, three key challenges are still unresolved. First, the identification of topological band degeneracies that are generically rather than accidentally located at the Fermi level. Second, the ability to easily control such topological degeneracies. And third, to identify generic topological degeneracies in large, multi-sheeted Fermi surfaces. Combining de Haas - van Alphen spectroscopy with density functional theory and band-topology calculations, we report here that the non-symmorphic symmetries in ferromagnetic MnSi generate nodal planes (NPs), which enforce topological protectorates (TPs) with substantial Berry curvatures at the intersection of the NPs with the Fermi surface (FS) regardless of the complexity of the FS. We predict that these TPs will be accompanied by sizeable Fermi arcs subject to the direction of the magnetization. Deriving the symmetry conditions underlying topological NPs, we show that the 1651 magnetic space groups comprise 7 grey groups and 26 black-and-white groups with topological NPs, including the space group of ferromagnetic MnSi. Thus, the identification of symmetry-enforced TPs on the FS of MnSi that may be controlled with a magnetic field suggests the existence of similar properties, amenable for technological exploitation, in a large number of materials., accepted version prior to processing by editorial staff

The notion of non-trivial topological winding in condensed matter systems represents a major area of present-day theoretical and experimental research. Magnetic materials offer a versatile platform that is particularly amenable for the exploration of topological spin solitons in real space such as skyrmions. First identified in non-centrosymmetric bulk materials, the rapidly growing zoology of materials systems hosting skyrmions and related topological spin solitons includes bulk compounds, surfaces, thin films, heterostructures, nano-wires and nano-dots. This underscores an exceptional potential for major breakthroughs ranging from fundamental questions to applications as driven by an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas between areas in magnetism which traditionally have been pursued rather independently. The skyrmionics roadmap provides a review of the present state of the art and the wide range of research directions and strategies currently under way. These are, for instance, motivated by the identification of the fundamental structural properties of skyrmions and related textures, processes of nucleation and annihilation in the presence of non-trivial topological winding, an exceptionally efficient coupling to spin currents generating spin transfer torques at tiny current densities, as well as the capability to purpose-design broad-band spin dynamic and logic devices., J. Phys. D, accepted for publication

Cu${}_{2}$OSeO${}_{3}$ is an insulating skyrmion host material with a magnetoelectric coupling giving rise to electric polarization. Using magnetic force microscopy on the surface of a bulk single crystal, the authors study here the helical real-space spin structure and its reorientation under applied magnetic field. Using Kelvin probe force microscopy, they also measure the field dependency of the electric polarization originating in this reorientation process. An effective Landau theory capturing the competition between magnetocrystalline anisotropies and Zeeman energy is in excellent agreement with the experimental results.

When interactions support quantum fluctuations in frustrated magnets, one may hope to realize a quantum spin liquid. Here, the authors report a detailed experimental and theoretical study of the low-temperature phase diagram of the pyrochlore quantum magnet Yb${}_{2}$Ti${}_{2}$O${}_{7}$. Despite the geometric frustration associated with this structure, the material exhibits anisotropic ferromagnetism at low temperatures. The reentrant phase diagram and the reversed anisotropy of the upper critical field reported here are, however, inconsistent with a classical description and indicate that the reentrant low-field regime is driven by quantum fluctuations.

In the cubic chiral magnet Cu_{2}OSeO_{3} a low-temperature skyrmion state (LTS) and a concomitant tilted conical state are observed for magnetic fields parallel to ⟨100⟩. Here, we report on the dynamic resonances of these novel magnetic states. After promoting the nucleation of the LTS by means of field cycling, we apply broadband microwave spectroscopy in two experimental geometries that provide either predominantly in-plane or out-of-plane excitation. By comparing the results to linear spin-wave theory, we clearly identify resonant modes associated with the tilted conical state, the gyrational and breathing modes associated with the LTS, as well as the hybridization of the breathing mode with a dark octupole gyration mode mediated by the magnetocrystalline anisotropies. Most intriguingly, our findings suggest that under decreasing fields the hexagonal skyrmion lattice becomes unstable with respect to an oblique deformation, reflected in the formation of elongated skyrmions.

This study presents for the first time the antiferromagnetic structure of the eosphorite-childrenite series (Mn1-xFex)AlPO4(OH)2H2O (x=0.5), based on neutron single crystal diffraction at 3 K in combination with group theoretical representation analysis. The new magnetic structure is described in the magnetic space group PCmnb, maintaining the atomistic unit cell size (a×b×c) with a ~6.9 A, b ~10.4 A, c ~13.4 A. Mn-rich and Fe-rich zones within solid solution crystals are expanded up to several hundred micrometers, as seen in electron microprobe and polarisation microscopy. Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements on two different eosphorite-childrenite crystals show the magnetic transition temperature between 6.5 K and 6.8 K as the Mn2+/Fe2+ ratio varies over single compositional zones. Below the Neel temperature, a magnetic field between 1.5 T and 2 T parallel to the a-axis causes a 180° spin-flip, reaching the saturation (5.25 μB pfu) toward high magnetic fields.

In the metallic magnet ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{1\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2+y}$, the low temperature threshold of ferromagnetism can be investigated by varying the Fe excess $y$ within a narrow homogeneity range. We use elastic neutron scattering to track the evolution of magnetic order from Fe-rich, ferromagnetic ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{0.981}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2.019}$ to approximately stoichiometric ${\mathrm{NbFe}}_{2}$, in which we can, for the first time, characterize a long-wavelength spin density wave state burying a ferromagnetic quantum critical point. The associated ordering wave vector ${\mathbf{q}}_{\mathrm{SDW}}=(0,0,{l}_{\mathrm{SDW}})$ is found to depend significantly on $y$ and $T$, staying finite but decreasing as the ferromagnetic state is approached. The phase diagram follows a two-order-parameter Landau theory, for which all of the coefficients can now be determined. Our findings suggest that the emergence of spin density wave order cannot be attributed to band structure effects alone. They indicate a common microscopic origin of both types of magnetic order and provide strong constraints on related theoretical scenarios based on, e.g., quantum order by disorder.

The electric-current stabilized semimetallic state in the quasi-two-dimensional Mott insulator ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$ exhibits an exceptionally strong diamagnetism. Through a comprehensive study using neutron and x-ray diffraction, we show that this nonequilibrium phase assumes a crystal structure distinct from those of equilibrium metallic phases realized in the ruthenates by chemical doping, high pressure, and epitaxial strain, which in turn leads to a distinct electronic band structure. Dynamical mean field theory calculations based on the crystallographically refined atomic coordinates and realistic Coulomb repulsion parameters indicate a semimetallic state with partially gapped Fermi surface. Our neutron diffraction data show that the nonequilibrium behavior is homogeneous, with antiferromagnetic long-range order completely suppressed. These results provide a new basis for theoretical work on the origin of the unusual nonequilibrium diamagnetism in ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$.

We report neutron-scattering and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements of the two-dimensional spin-1/2 frustrated magnet $\mathrm{BaCdVO}{({\mathrm{PO}}_{4})}_{2}$. At temperatures well below ${T}_{\mathsf{N}}\ensuremath{\approx}1\phantom{\rule{4.pt}{0ex}}\text{K}$, we show that only 34% of the spin moment orders in an up-up-down-down stripe structure. Dominant magnetic diffuse scattering and comparison to published $\mathrm{muon}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{spin}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{rotation}$ measurements indicates that the remaining 66% is fluctuating. This demonstrates the presence of strong frustration, associated with competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions, and points to a subtle ordering mechanism driven by magnon interactions. On applying magnetic field, we find that at $T=0.1$ K the magnetic order vanishes at 3.8 T, whereas magnetic saturation is reached only above 4.5 T. We argue that the putative high-field phase is a realization of the long-sought bond-spin-nematic state.

We report an experimental study of the emergence of nontrivial topological winding and long-range order across the paramagnetic-to-skyrmion lattice transition in the transition metal helimagnet MnSi. Combining measurements of the susceptibility with small-angle neutron scattering, neutron-resonance spin-echo spectroscopy, and all-electrical microwave spectroscopy, we find evidence of skyrmion textures in the paramagnetic state exceeding 10(3) angstrom, with lifetimes above several 10(-9) s. Our experimental findings establish that the paramagnetic-to-skyrmion lattice transition in MnSi is well described by the Landau soft-mode mechanism of weak crystallization, originally proposed in the context of the liquid-to-crystal transition. As a key aspect of this theoretical model, the modulation vectors of periodic small-amplitude components of the magnetization form triangles that add to zero. In excellent agreement with our experimental findings, these triangles of the modulation vectors entail the presence of the nontrivial topological winding of skyrmions already in the paramagnetic state of MnSi when approaching the skyrmion lattice transition.

We performed neutron imaging of ferromagnetic transitions in Ni$_3$Al and HgCr$_2$Se$_4$ crystals. These neutron depolarization measurements revealed bulk magnetic inhomogeneities in the ferromagnetic transition temperature with spatial resolution of about 100~$\mu$m. To obtain such spatial resolution, we employed a novel neutron microscope equipped with Wolter mirrors as a neutron image-forming lens and a focusing neutron guide as a neutron condenser lens. The images of Ni$_3$Al show that the sample does not homogeneously go through the ferromagnetic transition; the improved resolution allowed us to identify a distribution of small grains with slightly off-stoichiometric composition. Additionally, neutron depolarization imaging experiments on the chrome spinel, HgCr$_2$Se$_4$, under pressures up to 15~kbar highlight the advantages of the new technique especially for small samples or sample environments with restricted sample space. The improved spatial resolution enables one to observe domain formation in the sample while decreasing the acquisition time despite having a bulky pressure cell in the beam.

Cubic chiral magnets, such as Cu$_{2}$OSeO$_{3}$, exhibit a variety of non-collinear spin textures, including a trigonal lattice of spin whirls, so-called skyrmions. Using magnetic resonant elastic x-ray scattering (REXS) on a crystalline Bragg peak and its magnetic satellites while exciting the sample with magnetic fields at GHz frequencies, we probe the ferromagnetic resonance modes of these spin textures by means of the scattered intensity. Most notably, the three eigenmodes of the skyrmion lattice are detected with large sensitivity. As this novel technique, which we label REXS-FMR, is carried out at distinct positions in reciprocal space, it allows to distinguish contributions originating from different magnetic states, providing information on the precise character, weight and mode mixing as a prerequisite of tailored excitations for applications., Comment: 18 pages, main text with appended supplementary material, 3 main figures, 1 supplementary figure

We report spin-polarized inelastic neutron scattering of the dynamical structure factor of the conical magnetic helix in the cubic chiral magnet MnSi. We find that the spectral weight of spin-flip scattering processes is concentrated on single branches for wavevector transfer parallel to the helix axis as inferred from well-defined peaks in the neutron spectra. In contrast, for wavevector transfers perpendicular to the helix the spectral weight is distributed among different branches of the magnon band structure as reflected in broader features of the spectra. Taking into account the effects of instrumental resolution, our experimental results are in excellent quantitative agreement with parameter-free theoretical predictions. Whereas the dispersion of the spin waves in MnSi appears to be approximately reciprocal at low energies and small applied fields, the associated spin-resolved spectral weight displays a pronounced non-reciprocity that implies a distinct non-reciprocal response in the limit of vanishing uniform magnetization at zero magnetic field., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Added journal reference to published version

In the cubic chiral magnet ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{x}\mathrm{Si}$ a metastable state comprising topologically nontrivial spin whirls, so-called skyrmions, may be preserved down to low temperatures by means of field cooling the sample. This metastable skyrmion state is energetically separated from the topologically trivial ground state by a considerable potential barrier, a phenomenon also referred to as topological protection. Using magnetic force microscopy on the surface of a bulk crystal, we show that certain positions are preferentially and reproducibly decorated with metastable skyrmions, indicating that surface pinning plays a crucial role. Increasing the magnetic field allows an increasing number of skyrmions to overcome the potential barrier and hence to transform into the ground state. Most notably, we find that the unwinding of individual skyrmions may be triggered by the magnetic tip sample interaction itself, however, only when its magnetization is aligned parallel to the external field. This implies that the stray field of the tip is key for locally overcoming the topological protection. Both the control of the position of topologically nontrivial states and their creation and annihilation on demand pose important challenges in the context of potential skyrmionic applications.

A new solid solution system, InxNaxMn1-2xWO4 (0 < x ≤ 0.26) belonging to the MnWO4-type multiferroics was investigated. Large single crystals were grown up to several mm in length from high-temperature oxide solutions using a solvent mixture of Na2WO4 and Na2W2O7. Quantitative doping degrees were analyzed by means of electron microprobe. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies agreed with the polar space group P2 for InxNaxMn1-2xWO4. The complexity of partial (Na+/Mn2+)- and (In3+/Mn2+)-ordering makes their atomic sites unique, explaining the dissymmetrization from P2/c down to P2. This is also valid for the InNaW2O8-type Mn2yIn1-yNa1-yW2O8 solid solution found as co-product in this study. Specific heat and magnetisation measurements showed a paramagnetic dilution effect from (In3+/Na+)-doping while lowering the transition temperature for the multiferroic phase AF2 of InxNaxMn1-2xWO4 with respect to the prototype MnWO4.

CuO2SeO3 is an insulating material that hosts topologically nontrivial spin whirls, so-called skyrmions, and exhibits magnetoelectric coupling allowing to manipulate these skyrmions by means of electric fields. We report magnetic force microscopy imaging of the real-space spin structure on the surface of a bulk single crystal of CuO2SeO3. Based on measurements of the electric polarization using Kelvin-probe force microscopy, we develop a heuristic description of the magnetoelectric properties in CuO2SeO3. The model successfully describes the dependency of the electric polarization on the magnetization in all magnetically modulated phases.

The antiferromagnetic semi-Heusler compound CuMnSb has been investigated under high pressure by electrical resistivity and angle dispersive synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements to 53 and 36 GPa, respectively. The N\'eel temperature at $\ensuremath{\sim}50$ K is found to initially increase rapidly with pressure, reaching 83 K at 7 GPa. However, near 8 GPa at ambient temperature a sluggish first-order structural transition begins from a semimetallic cubic phase to a likely semimetallic tetragonal phase; thermal cycling to $355{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$ at 9.6 GPa serves to complete the transition. In the tetragonal phase no sign of magnetic ordering is visible in the resistivity $R(T)$ over the measured temperature range 4--295 K. This suggests that magnetic ordering may have shifted to temperatures well above ambient. Indeed, density functional calculations find the magnetic ground state in the tetragonal phase to be antiferromagnetic. Following decompression to 1 bar at ambient temperature, the high-pressure tetragonal phase is retained.

Spatially resolved neutron diffractive imaging with a microchannel plate collimator is used to directly map the nucleation of the skyrmion lattice (SkL) of the B20 compound MnSi at the conical to SkL transition as a function of magnetic field. Our study shows a macroscopic phase separation of the SkL and the conical phase at the border of the SkL phase pocket, reveals that the nucleation of the SkL starts at the edges of the sample, and quantifies the bending of the SkL due to demagnetization. Our study highlights the importance of geometric and demagnetizing effects for the SkL formation regarding the unambiguous interpretation of measurements of bulk properties such as possible phase coexistence and crossover regimes.

We report high-precision small-angle neutron scattering of the orientation of the Skyrmion lattice in a spherical sample of MnSi under systematic changes of the magnetic field direction. For all field directions the Skyrmion lattice may be accurately described as a triple-$\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{Q}$ state, where the modulus $|\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{Q}|$ is constant and the wave vectors enclose rigid angles of 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. Along a great circle across $⟨100⟩$, $⟨110⟩$, and $⟨111⟩$ the normal to the Skyrmion-lattice plane varies systematically by $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ with respect to the field direction, while the in-plane alignment displays a reorientation by 15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} for magnetic field along $⟨100⟩$. Our observations are qualitatively and quantitatively in excellent agreement with an effective potential, which is determined by the symmetries of the tetrahedral point group $T$ and includes contributions up to sixth order in spin-orbit coupling, providing a full account of the effect of cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropies on the Skyrmion lattice in MnSi.

Magnetic skyrmions are spin whirls with non-trivial topology that are remarkably robust. We review current research on skyrmion lattices far from equilibrium in cubic chiral magnets obtained under field cooling, providing access to generic properties of skyrmions in the non-thermal limit as well as concepts of spintronics applications.

We report first principles calculations of the structural parameters and phonon dispersion of the tetragonal non-centrosymmetric heavy fermion compound CeAuAl$_3$. Taking into account weak magnetoelastic interactions of the rare-earth (RE) ions with the spectrum of phonons, we obtain an analytical expression for the hybridization of quadrupole excitations and phonons from the poles of the one-phonon Green-function. In the paramagnetic phase, we predict the formation of mixed modes that may be observed by inelastic neutron scattering. Our results show that magnetoelastic interactions, albeit being moderate, play an important role in CeAuAl$_3$. This suggests that magnetoelastic interactions may be equally important in a wide range of related compounds., 7 pages, 5 figures

The antiferromagnetic ordering of chromium has long been known for its peculiar physical properties. One of them is the observation of the weak first-order character of the N'eel transition that is explained by the lack of a stable fixed point by Bak and Mukamel. Barak et al. predicted that by lowering the symmetry of the order parameter by the application of uniaxial pressure along the [110] direction changes the N'eel transition to second-order. In a previous experiment by Fawcett et al., irreversible broadening of the N\'eel transition was already observed between 160 bar and 300 bar, which could, however, be caused by plastic deformation. Using an improved setup with reduced stress inhomogeneities we succeeded to increase the pressure range until irreversible broadening is observed above 450 bar. Despite the observed tripling of the intensity of the magnetic Bragg peak $[0, 0, 1-\delta]$ at $p_{[110]}\geq450\,$bar, indicating a single $\bf{\text{Q}}_\pm$-domain state of the sample, no hints for a tricritical point were observed.

We report the low-temperature properties of phase-pure single crystals of the half-Heusler compound CuMnSb grown by means of optical float-zoning. The magnetization, specific heat, electrical resistivity, and Hall effect of our single crystals exhibit an antiferromagnetic transition at $T_{\mathrm{N}} = 55~\mathrm{K}$ and a second anomaly at a temperature $T^{*} \approx 34~\mathrm{K}$. Powder and single-crystal neutron diffraction establish an ordered magnetic moment of $(3.9\pm0.1)~\mu_{\mathrm{B}}/\mathrm{f.u.}$, consistent with the effective moment inferred from the Curie-Weiss dependence of the susceptibility. Below $T_{\mathrm{N}}$, the Mn sublattice displays commensurate type-II antiferromagnetic order with propagation vectors and magnetic moments along $\langle111\rangle$ (magnetic space group $R[I]3c$). Surprisingly, below $T^{*}$, the moments tilt away from $\langle111\rangle$ by a finite angle $\delta \approx 11^{\circ}$, forming a canted antiferromagnetic structure without uniform magnetization consistent with magnetic space group $C[B]c$. Our results establish that type-II antiferromagnetism is not the zero-temperature magnetic ground state of CuMnSb as may be expected of the face-centered cubic Mn sublattice., Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures

Quantum critical points (QCPs) emerge when a 2nd order phase transition is suppressed to zero temperature. In metals the quantum fluctuations at such a QCP can give rise to new phases including unconventional superconductivity. Whereas antiferromagnetic QCPs have been studied in considerable detail ferromagnetic (FM) QCPs are much harder to access. In almost all metals FM QCPs are avoided through either a change to 1st order transitions or through an intervening spin-density-wave (SDW) phase. Here, we study the prototype of the second case, NbFe$_2$. We demonstrate that the phase diagram can be modelled using a two-order-parameter theory in which the putative FM QCP is buried within a SDW phase. We establish the presence of quantum tricritical points (QTCPs) at which both the uniform and finite $q$ susceptibility diverge. The universal nature of our model suggests that such QTCPs arise naturally from the interplay between SDW and FM order and exist generally near a buried FM QCP of this type. Our results promote NbFe$_2$ as the first example of a QTCP, which has been proposed as a key concept in a range of narrow-band metals, including the prominent heavy-fermion compound YbRh$_2$Si$_2$., Comment: 21 pages including SI

We report selected experimental results on the spin dynamics and spin freezing at ferromagnetic quantum phase transitions to illustrate some of the most prominent escape routes by which ferromagnetic quantum criticality is avoided in real materials. In the transition metal Heusler compound Fe2TiSn we observe evidence for incipient ferromagnetic quantum criticality. High pressure studies in MnSi reveal empirical evidence for a topological non-Fermi liquid state without quantum criticality. Single crystals of the hexagonal Laves phase compound Nb1−y Fe2+y provide evidence of a ferromagnetic to spin density wave transition as a function of slight compositional changes. Last but not least, neutron depolarisation imaging in CePd1−x Rh x underscore evidence taken from the bulk properties of the formation of a Kondo cluster glass.

Heusler compounds exhibit a wide range of different electronic ground states and are hence expected to be applicable as functional materials in novel electronic and spintronic devices. Since the growth of large and defect-free Heusler crystals is still challenging, single crystals of Fe2TiSn and Cu2MnAl were grown by the optical floating zone technique. Two positron annihilation techniques -Angular Correlation of Annihilation Radiation (ACAR) and Doppler Broadening Spectroscopy (DBS)- were applied in order to study both, the electronic structure and lattice defects. Recently, we succeeded to observe clearly the anisotropy of the Fermi surface of Cu2MnAl, whereas the spectra of Fe2TiSn were disturbed by foreign phases. In order to estimate the defect concentration in different samples of Heusler compounds the positron diffusion length was determined by DBS using a monoenergetic positron beam.

The cold-neutron three-axis spectrometer MIRA is an instrument optimized for low-energy excitations. Its excellent intrinsic $Q$-resolution makes it ideal for studying incommensurate magnetic systems (elastic and inelastic). MIRA is at the forefront of using advanced neutron focusing optics such as elliptic guides, which enable the investigation of small samples under extreme conditions. Another advantage of MIRA is the modular assembly allowing for instrumental adaption to the needs of the experiment within a few hours. The development of new methods such as the spin-echo technique MIEZE is another important application at MIRA. Scientific topics include the investigation of complex inter-metallic alloys and spectroscopy on incommensurate magnetic structures., 5 pages, 7 figures

We present a magnetic phase diagram of rare-earth pyrochlore ${\mathrm{Yb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ in a $⟨111⟩$ magnetic field. Using heat capacity, magnetization, and neutron scattering data, we show an unusual field dependence of a first-order phase boundary, wherein a small applied field increases the ordering temperature. The zero-field ground state has ferromagnetic domains, while the spins polarize along $⟨111⟩$ above 0.65 T. A classical Monte Carlo analysis of published Hamiltonians does account for the critical field in the low $T$ limit. However, this analysis fails to account for the large bulge in the reentrant phase diagram, suggesting that either long-range interactions or quantum fluctuations govern low field properties.

Spin waves in chiral magnetic materials are strongly influenced by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction resulting in intriguing phenomena like non-reciprocal magnon propagation and magnetochiral dichroism. Here, we study the non-reciprocal magnon spectrum of the archetypical chiral magnet MnSi and its evolution as a function of magnetic field covering the field-polarized and conical helix phase. Using inelastic neutron scattering, the magnon energies and their spectral weights are determined quantitatively after deconvolution with the instrumental resolution. In the field-polarized phase the imaginary part of the dynamical susceptibility $\chi''(\varepsilon, {\bf q})$ is shown to be asymmetric with respect to wavevectors ${\bf q}$ longitudinal to the applied magnetic field ${\bf H}$, which is a hallmark of chiral magnetism. In the helimagnetic phase, $\chi''(\varepsilon, {\bf q})$ becomes increasingly symmetric with decreasing ${\bf H}$ due to the formation of helimagnon bands and the activation of additional spinflip and non-spinflip scattering channels. The neutron spectra are in excellent quantitative agreement with the low-energy theory of cubic chiral magnets with a single fitting parameter being the damping rate of spin waves., Comment: Paper: 10 pages, 5 figures Supplement: 8 pages, 11 figures

Entropic effects counteract the topological protection of magnetic skyrmions, leading to faster decay rates than expected., Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected whirls that decay through singular magnetic configurations known as Bloch points. We used Lorentz transmission electron microscopy to infer the energetics associated with the topological decay of magnetic skyrmions far from equilibrium in the chiral magnet Fe1−xCoxSi. We observed that the lifetime τ of the skyrmions depends exponentially on temperature, τ~τ0 exp(ΔEkBT). The prefactor τ0 of this Arrhenius law changes by more than 30 orders of magnitude for small changes of the magnetic field, reflecting a substantial reduction of the lifetime of skyrmions by entropic effects and, thus, an extreme case of enthalpy-entropy compensation. Such compensation effects, being well known across many different scientific disciplines, affect topological transitions and, thus, topological protection on an unprecedented level.