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Possible emergence of a skyrmion phase in ferroelectric GaMo$_4$S$_8$
- Source :
- Physical Review B 99, 214427 (2019)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Polar lacunar spinels, such as GaV$_4$S$_8$ and GaV$_4$Se$_8$, were proposed to host skyrmion phases under magnetic field. In this work, we put forward, as a candidate for N\'eel-type skyrmion lattice, the isostructural GaMo$_4$S$_8$, here systematically studied via both first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations of model Hamiltonian. Electric polarization, driven by Jahn-Teller distortion, is predicted to arise in GaMo$_4$S$_8$, showing a comparable size but an opposite sign with respect to that evaluated in V-based counterparts and explained in terms of different electron counting arguments and resulting distortions. Interestingly, a larger spin-orbit coupling of 4d orbitals with respect to 3d orbitals in vanadium-spinels leads to stronger Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, which are beneficial to stabilize a cycloidal spin texture, as well as smaller-sized skyrmions (radius<10 nm). Furthermore, the possibly large exchange anisotropy of GaMo4S8 may lead to a ferroelectric-ferromagnetic ground state, as an alternative to the ferroelectric-skyrmionic one, calling for further experimental verification.<br />Comment: 6 figures
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Journal :
- Physical Review B 99, 214427 (2019)
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.1906.03399
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.99.214427