Morphogenesis of spin cycloids in a noncollinear antiferromagnet

Image Credit: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2423298122

A team of researchers led by Ramamoorthy Ramesh (UC Berkley / Rice) has uncovered new insights into the formation of complex spin textures in noncollinear antiferromagnets. In their recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team reports the emergence of labyrinthine spin cycloids, magnetic structures characterized by arrays of isolated and hybrid topological defects.

The experimental breakthrough was enabled by nanoscale magnetic imaging with the Qnami ProteusQ™ quantum microscope which allowed to directly reveal the intricate spin morphologies.

The discovery highlights how spin cycloids self-organize through competing interactions, opening new avenues for understanding topological defect dynamics and the broader principles of pattern formation in correlated electron systems. 

Read more: S.K. Ojha,P. Pal,S. Prokhorenko,S. Husain,M. Ramesh,X. Li,D. Kang,P. Meisenheimer,D.G. Schlom,P. Stevenson,L. Caretta,Y. Nahas,Y. Han,L.W. Martin,L. Bellaiche,C. Eom, & R. Ramesh, Morphogenesis of spin cycloids in a noncollinear antiferromagnet, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 122 (17) e2423298122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2423298122 (2025).

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