Band-asymmetry-driven nonreciprocal electronic transport in a helimagnetic semimetal {\alpha}-EuP$_3$

TL;DR

This study reveals how chiral magnetic structures in { extalpha}-EuP$_3$ induce band asymmetry, leading to nonreciprocal electronic transport, and demonstrates the tunability of this effect via magnetic field in a helimagnetic semimetal.

Contribution

It provides a microscopic understanding of nonreciprocal transport in a centrosymmetric helimagnet through spin-dependent band structure analysis.

Findings

Chiral magnetic textures cause band asymmetry in { extalpha}-EuP$_3$.

Magnetic field tunes magnetic phases and electronic band structure.

Magnetic configuration changes lead to nonreciprocal transport phenomena.

Abstract

Chiral magnetic textures give rise to unconventional magnetotransport phenomena such as the topological Hall effect and nonreciprocal electronic transport. While the correspondence between real-space magnetic topology/symmetry and such transport phenomena has been well established, a microscopic understanding based on the spin-dependent band structure in momentum space remains elusive. Here we demonstrate how a chiral magnetic structure in real space introduces an asymmetry in the electronic band structure and triggers a nonreciprocal electronic transport in a centrosymmetric helimagnet {\alpha}-EuP$_3$. The magnetic structure of {\alpha}-EuP$_3$ is highly tunable by a magnetic field and closely coupled to its semi-metallic electronic band structure, enabling a systematic study across chiral and achiral magnetic phases on the correspondence between nonreciprocal transport and electronic band asymmetry. Our findings reveal how a microscopic change in the magnetic configuration of charge carriers can lead to nonreciprocal electronic transport, paving the way for designing chiral magnets with desirable properties.