Detection of skyrmion phases in spintronic materials using neutron scattering

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In the present project we plan to identify and characterize skyrmion phases in novel spintronic materials both in the bulk and in single-crystalline thin films. The primary goal of the project is to provide extensive characterization of such materials across their magnetic phase diagrams to guide the search for the most promising compounds to be used in prototype devices. Our main focus will be on compounds with lower-than-cubic symmetry, such as tetragonal Heusler allows, trigonal Co shandites, or thin films, in which additional anisotropy is introduced by the sample geometry. This should help to disentangle the roles of exchange parameters and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions on the one hand, and crystalline anisotropies and surface or interface effects on the other hand in the microscopic magnetic Hamiltonian of the system. We will also look at candidates for hosting antiferromagnetic skyrmions, which until now have not been uniquely identified.