Neutron diffraction

T. W. Kuo* et al., “Enhanced Néel-type skyrmion stability in polar VOSe2O5 through tunable magnetic anisotropy under pressure”, Phys. Rev. B (2025)

We recently uncovered two distinct magnetic structures in polar VOSe2O5 using powder neutron diffraction: a commensurate three-up–one-down ferrimagnetic order at low temperature (1.8 K) and an incommensurate cycloidal spin structure at 6 K. These findings reveal the presence of strong magnetic anisotropy in the system. By applying hydrostatic pressure, we successfully tuned this anisotropy—enhancing the stability of the Néel-type skyrmion phase. Under 14.2 kbar, the skyrmion zone expands nearly threefold in the magnetic field–temperature phase diagram. This work demonstrates how magnetic anisotropy can be engineered to control topological spin textures, offering new routes toward skyrmion-based spintronic applications. 

H. C. Wu* et al., “Observation of thermally induced piezomagnetic switching in Cu2OSeO3 polymorph synthesized under high-pressure”, Advanced Physics Research 3, 2400054 (2024)

We report the first observation of a finite enhancement of the weak ferromagnetic component in the Cu-based compound under uniaxial stress, providing evidence of the piezomagnetic effect and confirming the magnetic space group determination resolved by neutron diffraction. An intriguing sign change in the piezomagnetic coefficient holds the potential for realizing new functionality in switchable magnetic domains by manipulating pressure.