Uniaxial pressure dependence of magnetic order in MnSi

TL;DR

This study investigates how uniaxial pressure influences magnetic phases in MnSi, revealing orientation-dependent effects on skyrmion lattice stability and providing microscopic insights into strain-magnetism coupling.

Contribution

It provides comprehensive experimental data on the effects of uniaxial pressure on magnetic order in MnSi, highlighting orientation-specific phase stabilization and suppression.

Findings

Uniaxial pressure favors magnetic modulations aligned with the pressure axis.

Perpendicular pressure enhances the skyrmion lattice phase.

Parallel pressure suppresses the skyrmion lattice phase.

Abstract

We report comprehensive small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements complemented by ac susceptibility data of the helical order, conical phase and skyrmion lattice phase (SLP) in MnSi under uniaxial pressures. For all crystallographic orientations uniaxial pressure favours the phase for which a spatial modulation of the magnetization is closest to the pressure axis. Uniaxial pressures as low as 1kbar applied perpendicular to the magnetic field axis enhance the skyrmion lattice phase substantially, whereas the skyrmion lattice phase is suppressed for pressure parallel to the field. Taken together we present quantitative microscopic information how strain couples to magnetic order in the chiral magnet MnSi.