Striped magnetization plateau and chirality-reversible anomalous Hall effect in a magnetic kagome metal

TL;DR

This study uncovers a unique anomalous Hall effect in a magnetic kagome metal with 1D spin chains, demonstrating field-controlled domain wall behavior and potential skyrmion phases, advancing spintronics understanding.

Contribution

It reveals the interplay of magnetic textures, chirality, and symmetry in a kagome metal, highlighting field-induced domain wall dynamics and skyrmion-like states.

Findings

Abrupt Hall resistivity jumps at metamagnetic transitions.

Possible skyrmion phase within the magnetization plateau.

Size-dependent Hall resistivity spikes indicating domain wall effects.

Abstract

Kagome materials with magnetic frustration in two-dimensional networks are known for their exotic properties, such as the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) with non-collinear spin textures. However, the effects of one-dimensional (1D) spin chains within these networks are less understood. Here, we report a distinctive AHE in the bilayer-distorted kagome material GdTi$_3$Bi$_4$, featuring 1D Gd zigzag spin chains, a one-third magnetization plateau, and two successive metamagnetic transitions. At these metamagnetic transitions, Hall resistivity shows abrupt jumps linked to the formation of stripe domain walls, while within the plateau, the absence of detectable domain walls suggests possible presence of skyrmion phase. Reducing the sample size to a few microns reveals additional Hall resistivity spikes, indicating domain wall skew scattering contributions. Magnetic atomistic spin dynamics simulations reveal that the magnetic textures at these transitions have reverse chirality, explaining the evolution of AHE and domain walls with fields. These results underscore the potential of magnetic and crystal symmetry interplay, and magnetic field-engineered spin chirality, for controlling domain walls and tuning transverse properties, advancing spintronic applications.