EuAuSb: An odd-parity helical variation on altermagnetism

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sears, J., Yao, Juntao, Hu, Zhixiang, Tian, Wei, Aryal, Niraj, Yin, Weiguo, Tsvelik, A. M., Zaliznyak, I. A., Li, Qiang, Tranquada, J. M.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866917056075530240
author Sears, J.
Yao, Juntao
Hu, Zhixiang
Tian, Wei
Aryal, Niraj
Yin, Weiguo
Tsvelik, A. M.
Zaliznyak, I. A.
Li, Qiang
Tranquada, J. M.
author_facet Sears, J.
Yao, Juntao
Hu, Zhixiang
Tian, Wei
Aryal, Niraj
Yin, Weiguo
Tsvelik, A. M.
Zaliznyak, I. A.
Li, Qiang
Tranquada, J. M.
contents EuAuSb is a triangular-lattice Dirac semimetal in which a topological Hall effect has been observed to develop in association with a magnetically-ordered phase. Our single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements have identified an incommensurate helical order in which individual ferromagnetic Eu$^{2+}$ layers rotate in-plane by $\sim$120$^{\circ}$ from one layer to the next. An in-plane magnetic field distorts the incommensurate order, eventually leading to a first order transition to a state that is approximately commensurate and that is continuously polarized as the bulk magnetization approaches saturation. From an analysis of the magnetic diffraction intensities versus field, we find evidence for a dip in the ordered in-plane moment at the same field where the topological Hall effect is a maximum, and we propose that this is due to field-induced quantum spin fluctuations. Our electronic structure calculations yield exchange constants compatible with the helical order and show that the bands near the Fermi level lose their spin degeneracy via a mechanism similar to that in the collinear altermagnets. We find that, unlike the even symmetry seen in the altermagnets, the spin-splitting in EuAuSb has odd-wave symmetry similar to that recently found in a number of coplanar magnetic materials.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_00081
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle EuAuSb: An odd-parity helical variation on altermagnetism
Sears, J.
Yao, Juntao
Hu, Zhixiang
Tian, Wei
Aryal, Niraj
Yin, Weiguo
Tsvelik, A. M.
Zaliznyak, I. A.
Li, Qiang
Tranquada, J. M.
Strongly Correlated Electrons
EuAuSb is a triangular-lattice Dirac semimetal in which a topological Hall effect has been observed to develop in association with a magnetically-ordered phase. Our single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements have identified an incommensurate helical order in which individual ferromagnetic Eu$^{2+}$ layers rotate in-plane by $\sim$120$^{\circ}$ from one layer to the next. An in-plane magnetic field distorts the incommensurate order, eventually leading to a first order transition to a state that is approximately commensurate and that is continuously polarized as the bulk magnetization approaches saturation. From an analysis of the magnetic diffraction intensities versus field, we find evidence for a dip in the ordered in-plane moment at the same field where the topological Hall effect is a maximum, and we propose that this is due to field-induced quantum spin fluctuations. Our electronic structure calculations yield exchange constants compatible with the helical order and show that the bands near the Fermi level lose their spin degeneracy via a mechanism similar to that in the collinear altermagnets. We find that, unlike the even symmetry seen in the altermagnets, the spin-splitting in EuAuSb has odd-wave symmetry similar to that recently found in a number of coplanar magnetic materials.
title EuAuSb: An odd-parity helical variation on altermagnetism
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.00081