Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc$_2$S$_4$ - Archive ouverte HAL Access content directly
Journal Articles Nature Physics Year : 2017

## Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc$_2$S$_4$

Oksana Zaharko
• Function : Author
Gregory S. Tucker
• Function : Author
Bertrand Roessli
• Function : Author
Romain Sibille
Tom Fennell
• Function : Author
• Function : Author
Alois Loidl
• Function : Author
Yixi Su
• Function : Author
Frederic Bourdarot
Dmitry Chernyshov
• Function : Author

#### Abstract

Spirals and helices are common motifs of long-range order in magnetic solids, and they may also be organized into more complex emergent structures such as magnetic skyrmions and vortices. A new type of spiral state, the spiral spin-liquid, in which spins fluctuate collectively as spirals, has recently been predicted to exist. Here, using neutron scattering techniques, we experimentally prove the existence of a spiral spin-liquid in MnSc$_2$S$_4$ by directly observing the ‘spiral surface’—a continuous surface of spiral propagation vectors in reciprocal space. We elucidate the multi-step ordering behaviour of the spiral spin-liquid, and discover a vortex-like triple-$q$ phase on application of a magnetic field. Our results prove the effectiveness of the $J_1–J_2$ Hamiltonian on the diamond lattice as a model for the spiral spin-liquid state in MnSc$_2$S$_4$, and also demonstrate a new way to realize a magnetic vortex lattice through frustrated interactions.

#### Domains

Engineering Sciences [physics] Physics [physics]

### Dates and versions

cea-01899568 , version 1 (04-04-2019)

### Identifiers

• HAL Id : cea-01899568 , version 1
• DOI :

### Cite

Shang Gao, Oksana Zaharko, Jonathan S. White, Gregory S. Tucker, Bertrand Roessli, et al.. Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc$_2$S$_4$. Nature Physics, 2017, 13, pp.157-161. ⟨10.1038/NPHYS3914⟩. ⟨cea-01899568⟩

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