Detection of antiskyrmions by topological Hall effect in Heusler compounds

Abstract

Heusler compounds having D2d crystal symmetry gained much attention recently due to the stabilization of a vortexlike spin texture called antiskyrmions in thin lamellae of Mn1.4Pt0.9Pd0.1Sn as reported in the work of Nayak et al. [Nature (London) 548, 561 (2017)10.1038/nature23466]. Here we show that bulk Mn1.4Pt0.9Pd0.1Sn undergoes a spin-reorientation transition from a collinear ferromagnetic to a noncollinear configuration of Mn moments below 135 K, which is accompanied by the emergence of a topological Hall effect. We tune the topological Hall effect in Pd and Rh substituted Mn1.4PtSn Heusler compounds by changing the intrinsic magnetic properties and spin textures. A unique feature of the present system is the observation of a zero-field topological Hall resistivity with a sign change which indicates the robust formation of antiskyrmions.