Magnetic competition in topological kagome magnets

Magnetic competition in topological kagome magnets is studied by incorporating the spin-orbit coupling, anisotropic Hund coupling and spin exchange into a tight-binding electron dynamics in the kagome lattice. Using the Bogoliubov variational principle we find the stable phases at zero and finite temperatures. At zero temperature and in the strong Ising-Hund coupling regime, a magnetic tunability from the out-of-plane ferromagnetism to the in-plane antiferromagnetism is achieved through a universal property of the critical in-plane Hund coupling. At low temperature the out-of-plane ferromagnetism is stable until a finite crossing temperature. Above the crossing temperature the in-plane antiferromagnetism is stable, but the magnetization of the out-of-plane ferromagnetism still survives. This suggests a metastable coexistence of these magnetic phases in a finite temperature range. A large anomalous Hall conductance is observed in the Ising-Hund coupling limit.

Coexistence of structural and magnetic phases in van der Waals magnet CrI3

CrI3 has raised as an important system to the emergent field of two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic materials. However, it is still unclear why CrI3 which has a ferromagnetic rhombohedral structure in bulk, changed to anti-ferromagnetic monoclinic at thin layers. Here we show that this behaviour is due to the coexistence of both monoclinic and rhombohedral crystal phases followed by three magnetic transitions at TC1 = 61 K, TC2 = 50 K and TC3 = 25 K. Each transition corresponds to a certain fraction of the magnetically ordered volume as well as monoclinic and rhombohedral proportion. The different phases are continuously accessed as a function of the temperature over a broad range of magnitudes. Our findings suggest that the challenge of understanding the magnetic properties of thin layers CrI3 is in general a coexisting structural-phase problem mediated by the volume-wise competition between magnetic phases already present in bulk.

Multiple magnetic phase transitions with different universality classes in bilayer La$$_{1.4}$$Sr$$_{1.6}$$Mn$$_{2}$$O$$_7$$ manganite

Here, we report three magnetic transitions at 101 K (T$$_{C1}$$ C 1 ), 246 K (T$$_{C2}$$ C 2 ) and 295 K (T$$_{C3}$$ C 3 ) in bilayer La$$_{1.4}$$ 1.4 Sr$$_{1.6}$$ 1.6 Mn$$_{2}$$ 2 O$$_7$$ 7 . The second order phase transitions have been identified at these transition points with the help of change in entropy analysis and modified Arrott plots (MAPs). The critical behavior around T$$_{C1}$$ C 1 , T$$_{C2}$$ C 2 and T$$_{C3}$$ C 3 have been studied by MAPs and Kouvel–Fisher method. Based on these analyses four magnetic phases are: (1) 2D Ising ferromagnetic (FM) below T$$_{C1}$$ C 1 ,(2) 2D Heisenberg canted antiferromagnetic (CAFM-I) and FM clusters in temperature range T$$_{C1}$$ C 1 < T < T$$_{C2}$$ C 2 , (3) 2D Heisenberg CAFM-II and FM clusters with non magnetically interacting planes in temperature range T$$_{C2}$$ C 2 < T < T$$_{C3}$$ C 3 and (4) paramagnetic for T > T$$_{C3}$$ C 3 .

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of impact melt breccia and target rocks from the Dhala impact structure, India

ABSTRACT The ~11-km-wide, Paleoproterozoic Dhala impact structure in north-central India comprises voluminous exposures of impact melt breccia. These outcrops are discontinuously spread over a length of ~6 km in a semicircular pattern along the northern, inner limit of the monomict breccia ring around the central elevated area. This study of the magnetic fabrics of impact breccias and target rocks from the Dhala impact structure identified a weak preferred magnetic orientation for pre-impact crystalline target rocks. The pre- and synimpact rocks from Dhala have magnetite and ilmenite as common magnetic phases. The distributions of magnetic vectors are random for most impact melt breccia samples, but some do indicate a preferred orientation. Our anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data demonstrate that the shape of susceptibility ellipsoids for the target rocks varies from prolate to oblate, and most impact melt breccia samples display both shapes, with a slight bias toward the oblate geometry. The average value for the corrected degree of anisotropy of impact melt rock (P′ = 1.009) is lower than that for the target rocks (P′ = 1.091). The present study also shows that both impact melt breccia and target rock samples of the Dhala structure have undergone minor postimpact alteration, and have similar compositions in terms of magnetic phases and high viscosity. Fine-grained iron oxide or hydroxide is the main alteration phase in impact melt rocks. Impact melt rocks gave a narrow range of mean magnetic susceptibility (Km) and P′ values, in contrast to the target rock samples, which gave Km = 0.05–12.9 × 10−3 standard international units (SI) and P′ = 1.036–1.283. This suggests similar viscosity of the source magma, and limited difference in the degrees of recorded deformation. Between Pagra and Maniar villages, the Km value of impact melt breccias gradually decreases in a clockwise direction, with a maximum value observed near Pagra (Km = 1.67 × 10−3 SI). The poor grouping of magnetic fabrics for most impact melt rock samples implies local turbulence in rapidly cooled impact melt at the front of the melt flow immediately after the impact. The mean K1 for most impact melt samples suggests subhorizontal (&lt;5°) flow in various directions. The average value of Km for the target rocks (4.41 × 10−3 SI) is much higher compared to the value for melt breccias (1.09 × 10−3 SI). The results of this study suggest that the melt breccias were likely part of a sheet-like body of sizeable extent. Our magnetic fabric data are also supported by earlier core drilling information from ~70 locations, with coring depths reaching to −500 m. Our extensive field observations combined with available widespread subsurface data imply that the impact melt sheet could have covered as much as 12 km2 in the Dhala structure, with an estimated minimum melt volume of ~2.4 km3.