Topological transitions among skyrmion- and hedgehog-lattice states in cubic chiral magnets

Authors
Y. Fujishiro*, N. Kanazawa*, T. Nakajima, X. Z. Yu, K. Ohishi, Y. Kawamura, K. Kakurai, T. Arima, H. Mitamura, A. Miyake, K. Akiba, M. Tokunaga, A. Matsuo, K. Kindo, T. Koretsune, R. Arita and Y. Tokura*

Abstract
Manipulating topological spin textures is a key for exploring unprecedented emergent electromagnetic phenomena. Whereas switching control of magnetic skyrmions, e.g., the transitions between a skyrmion-lattice phase and conventional magnetic orders, is intensively studied towards development of future memory device concepts, transitions among spin textures with different topological orders remain largely unexplored. Here we develop a series of chiral magnets MnSi_1−xGe_x, serving as a platform for transitions among skyrmion- and hedgehog-lattice states. By neutron scattering, Lorentz transmission electron microscopy and high-field transport measurements, we observe three different topological spin textures with variation of the lattice constant controlled by Si/Ge substitution: two-dimensional skyrmion lattice in x = 0–0.25 and two distinct three-dimensional hedgehog lattices in x = 0.3–0.6 and x = 0.7–1. The emergence of various topological spin states in the chemical-pressure-controlled materials suggests a new route for direct manipulation of the spin-texture topology by facile mechanical methods.

Nature Communications：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08985-6