Chiral magnetic soliton lattice on a chiral helimagnet

Abstract

Using Lorenz microscopy and small-angle electron diffraction, we directly present that the chiral magnetic soliton lattice (CSL) continuously evolves from a chiral helimagnetic structure in small magnetic fields in Cr 1/3NbS 2. An incommensurate CSL undergoes a phase transition to a commensurate ferromagnetic state at the critical field strength. The period of a CSL, which exerts an effective potential for itinerant spins, is tuned by simply changing the field strength. Chiral magnetic orders observed do not exhibit any structural dislocation, indicating their high stability and robustness in Cr 1/3NbS 2. © 2012 American Physical Society.