Single helicity of the triple-$q$ triangular skyrmion lattice state in cubic chiral helimagnet EuPtSi

TL;DR

This study reveals that the triple-q skyrmion lattice in EuPtSi has a uniform helicity aligned with the single-q helimagnetic phase, supported by antisymmetric exchange interactions, with a transition from conical to skyrmion structure.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of the helicity and magnetic structure of the triple-q skyrmion lattice in EuPtSi using resonant x-ray diffraction.

Findings

All three Fourier components have the same helicity.

Helicity matches that of the low-field helimagnetic phase.

Helical plane tilts to form a conical structure before skyrmion formation.

Abstract

We investigated the magnetic helicity of the triple-$q$ magnetic structure of the triangular skyrmion lattice in the ``A-phase" of EuPtSi for a magnetic field along the [111] axis by resonant x-ray diffraction using a circularly polarized beam. We show that all three Fourier components of the triple-$q$ structure are perpendicular to the respective $q$ vectors and have the same helicity. They are connected by the rotation operations about the [111] axis. The helicity is the same as that of the single-$q$ helimagnetic phase at low fields, suggesting that the antisymmetric exchange interaction inherent in the chiral structure supports the formation of the triangular skyrmion lattice. We also observe that the helical plane in the helimagnetic phase is tilted to the magnetic field to form a conical structure before the first-order transition to the skyrmion lattice phase.