Tunable bifurcation of magnetic anisotropy and bi-oriented antiferromagnetic order in kagome metal GdTi3Bi4

TL;DR

This study reveals a tunable bifurcation of magnetic anisotropy and bi-oriented antiferromagnetic order in GdTi3Bi4, providing insights into magnetic domain evolution and potential for AFM spintronics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the direct visualization and characterization of bifurcated magnetic anisotropy and bi-oriented AFM order in GdTi3Bi4, a novel kagome antiferromagnet.

Findings

Bifurcation transition of anisotropy occurs around 2 K.

In-plane anisotropy splits into two orientations, deviating by 7 degrees.

Three distinct in-plane domain phases are identified in magnetic field phase diagram.

Abstract

The novel kagome family RTi3Bi4 (R: rare-earth) offers a unique platform for exploring distinctive physical phenomena such as anisotropy, spin density wave, and anomalous Hall effect. In particular, the magnetic frustration and behavior of magnetic anisotropy in antiferromagnetic (AFM) kagome materials are of great interest for the fundamental studies and hold promise for next-generation device applications. Here, we report a tunable bifurcation of magnetic anisotropic and bi-oriented AFM order observed in the quasi-1D kagome antiferromagnet GdTi3Bi4. The magnetic domain evolutions during two plateau transition processes are directly visualized, unveiling a pronounced in-plane anisotropy along the a-axis. Temperature-dependent characterization reveals a bifurcation transition of anisotropy at approximately 2 K, where the a-axis anisotropy splits into two special orientations, revealing a hidden bi-oriented in-plane AFM order deviating from the high-symmetry direction by 7 degree. More intriguingly, the characteristics of the bifurcated anisotropy are clearly illustrated through vector magnetic field modulation, revealing three distinct in-plane domain phases in the transverse magnetic field phase diagram. Our results not only provide valuable insights into the tunable bifurcation of magnetic anisotropic in GdTi3Bi4, but also pave a novel pathway for AFM spintronics development.