Detection of antiskyrmions by topological Hall effect in Heusler compounds

Abstract

Heusler compounds having ${D}_{2d}$ crystal symmetry gained much attention recently due to the stabilization of a vortexlike spin texture called antiskyrmions in thin lamellae of $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{1.4}\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{t}}_{0.9}\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{d}}_{0.1}\mathrm{Sn}$ as reported in the work of Nayak et al. [Nature (London) 548, 561 (2017)]. Here we show that bulk $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{1.4}\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{t}}_{0.9}\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{d}}_{0.1}\mathrm{Sn}$ 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 $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{1.4}\mathrm{PtSn}$ 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.