Noncollinear Magnetism and Skyrmions
A magnetic skyrmion is a vortex like object with a circular chiral spin configuration. Due to their topologically stabilized spin textures, they are of great interest for new generations of spintronic devices. At present skyrmions have only been observed well below room temperature in certain classes of chiral magnets with B20 crystal structure. Mn2YZ based Heusler materials with multiple magnetic sub-lattices are excellent candidates for creating noncollinear magnetism and skyrmionic states. Recently, we have discovered a noncollinear magnetic state in Mn2RhSn Heusler compound [1]. Our search for more noncollinear magnetism in Heuslers leds to finding of Mn-Pt-Sn based system, which shows a helical magnetic ordering and a temperature driven spontaneous skyrmion ground state. A picture of the skyrmions appearing from the modification of the Helical magnetic structure in Mn-Pt-Sn Heusler material is shown below.