Working Group Theory of Competing States of Matter

Head: Prof. Dr. Markus Garst

In our working group we investigate collective phenomena in quantum materials. The interplay of different degrees of freedom of electronic nature such as spin, charge and orbital as well as those of the crystal lattice may lead to macroscopic quantum phenomena leading to extraordinary electronic, magnetic and mechanic materials properties. Our theoretical investigations aim at explaining and predicting experimental results.

More information

f - h: Schematic illustration of excitation modes on skyrmion strings [1].
The central part represents the local oscillation manner of skyrmion at the z = 0 plane.
The upper and lower parts are the snapshot images describing how the spin excitation launched at z = 0 propagates on the skyrmion strings, along the ±z direction parallel and antiparallel to H, respectively. The cross-sectional images describing the size and position of skyrmion at selected z-planes (shown by red layers) are also indicated.

Publications

(1) S. Seki et al., Propagation dynamics of spin excitations along skyrmion strings, Nat. Commun. 11 (2020) 256

(2) J. Kindervater et al., Weak Crystallization of Fluctuating Skyrmion Textures in MnSi, Phys. Rev. X 9 (2019) 41059

(3) A. Chacon et al., Observation of two independent skyrmion phases in a chiral magnetic material, Nat. Phys. 14 (2018) 936

(4) P. Schoenherr et al., Topological domain walls in helimagnets, Nat. Phys. 14 (2018) 465

(5) S. Zhang et al., Reciprocal space tomography of 3D skyrmion lattice order in a chiral magnet , PNAS 115 (2018) 6386

(6) I. Paul et al., Lattice effects on nematic quantum criticality in metals, Phys. Rev. Lett. 118 (2017) 227601

(7) A. Dussaux et al., Local dynamics of topological magnetic defects in the itinerant helimagnet FeGe, Nat. Commun. 7 (2016) 12430

(8) T. Schwarze et al., Universal helimagnon and skyrmion excitations in metallic, semiconducting and insulating chiral magnets, Nat. Mater. 14 (2015) 478