207 research outputs found
Long-range crystalline nature of the skyrmion lattice in MnSi
We report small angle neutron scattering of the skyrmion lattice in MnSi
using an experimental set-up that minimizes the effects of demagnetizing fields
and double scattering. Under these conditions the skyrmion lattice displays
resolution-limited Gaussian rocking scans that correspond to a magnetic
correlation length in excess of several hundred {\mu}m. This is consistent with
exceptionally well-defined long-range order. We further establish the existence
of higher-order scattering, discriminating parasitic double-scattering with
Renninger scans. The field and temperature dependence of the higher-order
scattering arises from an interference effect. It is characteristic for the
long-range crystalline nature of the skyrmion lattice as shown by simple mean
field calculations.Comment: 4 page
Orbital textures and charge density waves in transition metal dichalcogenides
Low-dimensional electron systems, as realized naturally in graphene or
created artificially at the interfaces of heterostructures, exhibit a variety
of fascinating quantum phenomena with great prospects for future applications.
Once electrons are confined to low dimensions, they also tend to spontaneously
break the symmetry of the underlying nuclear lattice by forming so-called
density waves; a state of matter that currently attracts enormous attention
because of its relation to various unconventional electronic properties. In
this study we reveal a remarkable and surprising feature of charge density
waves (CDWs), namely their intimate relation to orbital order. For the
prototypical material 1T-TaS2 we not only show that the CDW within the
two-dimensional TaS2-layers involves previously unidentified orbital textures
of great complexity. We also demonstrate that two metastable stackings of the
orbitally ordered layers allow to manipulate salient features of the electronic
structure. Indeed, these orbital effects enable to switch the properties of
1T-TaS2 nanostructures from metallic to semiconducting with technologically
pertinent gaps of the order of 200 meV. This new type of orbitronics is
especially relevant for the ongoing development of novel, miniaturized and
ultra-fast devices based on layered transition metal dichalcogenides
The OSACA Database and a Kinematic Analysis of Stars in the Solar Neighborhood
We transformed radial velocities compiled from more than 1400 published
sources, including the Geneva--Copenhagen survey of the solar neighborhood
(CORAVEL-CfA), into a uniform system based on the radial velocities of 854
standard stars in our list. This enabled us to calculate the average weighted
radial velocities for more than 25~000 HIPPARCOS stars located in the local
Galactic spiral arm (Orion arm) with a median error of +-1 km/s. We use these
radial velocities together with the stars' coordinates, parallaxes, and proper
motions to determine their Galactic coordinates and space velocities. These
quantities, along with other parameters of the stars, are available from the
continuously updated Orion Spiral Arm CAtalogue (OSACA) and the associated
database. We perform a kinematic analysis of the stars by applying an
Ogorodnikov-Milne model to the OSACA data. The kinematics of the nearest single
and multiple main-sequence stars differ substantially. We used distant
(r\approx 0.2 kpc) stars of mixed spectral composition to estimate the angular
velocity of the Galactic rotation -25.7+-1.2 km/s/kpc, and the vertex
deviation,l=13+-2 degrees, and detect a negative K effect. This negative K
effect is most conspicuous in the motion of A0-A5 giants, and is equal to
K=-13.1+-2.0 km/s/kpc.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure
Structure and degeneracy of vortex lattice domains in pure superconducting niobium: A small-angle neutron scattering study
High-purity niobium exhibits a surprisingly rich assortment of vortex lattice (VL) structures for fields applied parallel to a fourfold symmetry axis, with all observed VL phases made up of degenerate domains that spontaneously break some crystal symmetry. Yet a single regular hexagonal VL domain is observed at all temperatures and fields parallel to a threefold symmetry axis. We report a detailed investigation of the transition between these lush and barren VL landscapes, discovering new VL structures and phase transitions at high fields. We show that the number and relative population of VL domains is intrinsically tied to the underlying crystal symmetry. We discuss how subtle anisotropies of the crystal may generate the remarkable VLs observed. © 2009 The American Physical Society
Theory of current-driven motion of Skyrmions and spirals in helical magnets
We study theoretically the dynamics of the spin textures, i.e., Skyrmion
crystal (SkX) and spiral structure (SS), in two-dimensional helical magnets
under external current. By numerically solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert
equation, it is found that (i) the critical current density of the motion is
much lower for SkX compared with SS in agreement with the recent experiment,
(ii) there is no intrinsic pinning effect for SkX and the deformation of the
internal structure of Skyrmion reduces the pinning effect dramatically, (iii)
the Bragg intensity of SkX shows strong time-dependence as can be observed by
neutron scattering experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Electrical detection of magnetic skyrmions by non-collinear magnetoresistance
Magnetic skyrmions are localised non-collinear spin textures with high
potential for future spintronic applications. Skyrmion phases have been
discovered in a number of materials and a focus of current research is the
preparation, detection, and manipulation of individual skyrmions for an
implementation in devices. Local experimental characterization of skyrmions has
been performed by, e.g., Lorentz microscopy or atomic-scale tunnel
magnetoresistance measurements using spin-polarised scanning tunneling
microscopy. Here, we report on a drastic change of the differential tunnel
conductance for magnetic skyrmions arising from their non-collinearity: mixing
between the spin channels locally alters the electronic structure, making a
skyrmion electronically distinct from its ferromagnetic environment. We propose
this non-collinear magnetoresistance (NCMR) as a reliable all-electrical
detection scheme for skyrmions with an easy implementation into device
architectures
A Measurement of the Electric Form Factor of the Neutron through at (GeV/c)
We report the first measurement of the neutron electric form factor
via using a solid polarized target. was
determined from the beam-target asymmetry in the scattering of longitudinally
polarized electrons from polarized deuterated ammonia, ND. The
measurement was performed in Hall C at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator
Facility (TJNAF) in quasi free kinematics with the target polarization
perpendicular to the momentum transfer. The electrons were detected in a
magnetic spectrometer in coincidence with neutrons in a large solid angle
segmented detector. We find at (GeV/c).Comment: Latex2e 5 pages, 3 figure
Analysis of human prostate cancers and cell lines for mutations in the TP53 and KLF6 tumour suppressor genes
Emergent Phenomena Induced by Spin-Orbit Coupling at Surfaces and Interfaces
Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) describes the relativistic interaction between the
spin and momentum degrees of freedom of electrons, and is central to the rich
phenomena observed in condensed matter systems. In recent years, new phases of
matter have emerged from the interplay between SOC and low dimensionality, such
as chiral spin textures and spin-polarized surface and interface states. These
low-dimensional SOC-based realizations are typically robust and can be
exploited at room temperature. Here we discuss SOC as a means of producing such
fundamentally new physical phenomena in thin films and heterostructures. We put
into context the technological promise of these material classes for developing
spin-based device applications at room temperature
Room temperature chiral magnetic skyrmion in ultrathin magnetic nanostructures
Magnetic skyrmions are chiral spin structures with a whirling configuration.
Their topological properties, nanometer size and the fact that they can be
moved by small current densities have opened a new paradigm for the
manipulation of magnetisation at the nanoscale. To date, chiral skyrmion
structures have been experimentally demonstrated only in bulk materials and in
epitaxial ultrathin films and under external magnetic field or at low
temperature. Here, we report on the observation of stable skyrmions in
sputtered ultrathin Pt/Co/MgO nanostructures, at room temperature and zero
applied magnetic field. We use high lateral resolution X-ray magnetic circular
dichroism microscopy to image their chiral N\'eel internal structure which we
explain as due to the large strength of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction
as revealed by spin wave spectroscopy measurements. Our results are
substantiated by micromagnetic simulations and numerical models, which allow
the identification of the physical mechanisms governing the size and stability
of the skyrmions.Comment: Submitted version. Extended version to appear in Nature
Nanotechnolog
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