A surface-confined spiral state with the double period in the cubic chiral helimagnet Cu2OSeO3
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The chiral magnetoelectric insulator Cu 2 OSeO 3 hosts a rich and anisotropic magnetic phase diagram that includes helical, conical, field-polarised, tilted conical, and skyrmion lattice phases. Using resonant elastic x-ray scattering (REXS), we uncover a new spiral state confined to the surface of Cu 2 OSeO 3 . This surface-confined spiral state (SSS) displays a real-space pitch of ~ 120 nm, which remarkably is twice the length of the incommensurate structures observed to-date in Cu 2 OSeO 3 . The SSS phase emerges at temperatures below 30 K when the magnetic field is applied between 3 ∘ to 18 ∘ away from the 〈110〉 crystallographic axes. Its surface localisation is demonstrated through a combination of REXS in reflection and transmission geometries, with complementary small-angle neutron scattering measurements suggesting its absence from the bulk. We attribute the stabilisation of the SSS to competing anisotropic interactions at the crystal surface. The discovery of a robust, surface-confined spiral paves the way for engineering energy-efficient, nanoscale spin-texture platforms for next-generation devices.
Source: npj Quantum Materials
Institutions: Paul Scherrer Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, The University of Tokyo, Institute for Basic Science, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Durham University, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, ALBA Synchrotron (Spain), Institut Laue-Langevin, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,890
Funders: National Science Foundation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Institute for Basic Science, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Awards: G1369937091, G153420757, Creation and exploration of high-density topological skyrmion phases in 4f magnets, G3188738659, G3452655474, G3614653396, EMERGENT EXCITATIONS FROM COUPLED ORDER IN QUASI-2D QUANTUM MATERIALS, Molecular Ultrafast Science and Technology (MUST), Flechten als biologische Indikatoren der Luftverschmutzung in der Schweiz, New structures and dynamics emerging from frustration, EMERGENT FUNCTIONALITY AND INDUCTANCE OF NONCOLLINEAR QUANTUM MAGNETS, Discovery and Nanoengineering of Novel Skyrmion-hosting Materials, G84058371
OpenAlex ID: W4414697358
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: