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1. Competing itinerant and local spin interactions in kagome metal FeGe

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44190-2  

   Chen, Lebing; Teng, Xiaokun; Tan, Hengxin; Winn, Barry L.; Granroth, Garrett E.; Ye, Feng; Yu, D. H.; Mole, R. A.; Gao, Bin; Yan, Binghai; et al (March 2024, Nature Communications)

   Abstract The combination of a geometrically frustrated lattice, and similar energy scales between degrees of freedom endows two-dimensional Kagome metals with a rich array of quantum phases and renders them ideal for studying strong electron correlations and band topology. The Kagome metal, FeGe is a noted example of this, exhibiting A-type collinear antiferromagnetic (AFM) order atT_N ≈ 400 K, then establishes a charge density wave (CDW) phase coupled with AFM ordered moment belowT_CDW ≈ 110 K, and finally forms ac-axis double cone AFM structure aroundT_Canting ≈ 60 K. Here we use neutron scattering to demonstrate the presence of gapless incommensurate spin excitations associated with the double cone AFM structure of FeGe at temperatures well aboveT_CantingandT_CDWthat merge into gapped commensurate spin waves from the A-type AFM order. Commensurate spin waves follow the Bose factor and fit the Heisenberg Hamiltonian, while the incommensurate spin excitations, emerging belowT_Nwhere AFM order is commensurate, start to deviate from the Bose factor aroundT_CDW, and peaks atT_Canting. This is consistent with a critical scattering of a second order magnetic phase transition with decreasing temperature. By comparing these results with density functional theory calculations, we conclude that the incommensurate magnetic structure arises from the nested Fermi surfaces of itinerant electrons and the formation of a spin density wave order. 

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2. Switching of Magnetic Order via Non‐Magnetic Al Addition in FeCoNiMnAl _x Films

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202424741  

   Beeson, Willie B; Bista, Dinesh; Naushin, Nushrat; N'Diaye, Alpha T; Kukreja, Roopali; Yin, Gen; Liu, Kai (April 2025, Advanced Functional Materials)

   Abstract Magnetic high entropy alloys (HEAs) consisting of 3dtransition metals offer an exciting platform to explore novel magnetic phases as they often house competing exchange interactions in combination with random site disorders. In this work, a sensitive and tunable magnetic order is demonstrated in sputtered single‐layer FeCoNiMnAl_xfilms, as a function of non‐magnetic Al addition, along with an unexpected exchange bias effect. Thin films of 50 nm FeCoNiMn exhibit a face‐centered‐cubic (fcc) phase, reentrant spin glass (SG) transition near 100 K, and a large exchange bias of over 500 Oe after field‐cooling to 5 K. The exchange bias is increased to 930 Oe through a small addition of 5 at.% Al. Further Al addition to 12 at.% results in a body‐centered‐cubic (bcc) phase, coinciding with a large increase in the saturation magnetization, decrease of exchange bias to 50 Oe, and suppression of SG behavior. The change in magnetic order across the Al‐induced structural transformation is mediated by the switching of Mn ground state from AF to FM, which is supported by first‐principles calculations and experimentally confirmed via X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism. These results open up new HEA strategies for explorations of novel magnetic phases. 

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3. In-plane uniaxial pressure-induced out-of-plane antiferromagnetic moment and critical fluctuations in BaFe2As2

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19421-5  

   Liu, Panpan; Klemm, Mason L.; Tian, Long; Lu, Xingye; Song, Yu; Tam, David W.; Schmalzl, Karin; Park, J. T.; Li, Yu; Tan, Guotai; et al (December 2020, Nature Communications)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract A small in-plane external uniaxial pressure has been widely used as an effective method to acquire single domain iron pnictide BaFe 2 As 2 , which exhibits twin-domains without uniaxial strain below the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural (nematic) transition temperature T s . Although it is generally assumed that such a pressure will not affect the intrinsic electronic/magnetic properties of the system, it is known to enhance the antiferromagnetic (AF) ordering temperature T N ( <  T s ) and create in-plane resistivity anisotropy above T s . Here we use neutron polarization analysis to show that such a strain on BaFe 2 As 2 also induces a static or quasi-static out-of-plane ( c -axis) AF order and its associated critical spin fluctuations near T N / T s . Therefore, uniaxial pressure necessary to detwin single crystals of BaFe 2 As 2 actually rotates the easy axis of the collinear AF order near T N / T s , and such effects due to spin-orbit coupling must be taken into account to unveil the intrinsic electronic/magnetic properties of the system. 

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4. Spin structure and dynamics of the topological semimetal Co3Sn2-xInxS2

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-022-00523-w  

   Neubauer, Kelly J.; Ye, Feng; Shi, Yue; Malinowski, Paul; Gao, Bin; Taddei, Keith M.; Bourges, Philippe; Ivanov, Alexandre; Chu, Jiun-Haw; Dai, Pengcheng (December 2022, npj Quantum Materials)

   Abstract The anomalous Hall effect (AHE), typically observed in ferromagnetic (FM) metals with broken time-reversal symmetry, depends on electronic and magnetic properties. In Co₃Sn_2-xIn_xS₂, a giant AHE has been attributed to Berry curvature associated with the FM Weyl semimetal phase, yet recent studies report complicated magnetism. We use neutron scattering to determine the spin dynamics and structures as a function ofxand provide a microscopic understanding of the AHE and magnetism interplay. Spin gap and stiffness indicate a contribution from Weyl fermions consistent with the AHE. The magnetic structure evolves fromc-axis ferromagnetism at$$x = 0$$ $x=0$to a canted antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure with reducedc-axis moment and in-plane AFM order at$$x = 0.12$$ $x=0.12$and further reducedc-axis FM moment at$$x = 0.3$$ $x=0.3$. Since noncollinear spins can induce non-zero Berry curvature in real space acting as a fictitious magnetic field, our results revealed another AHE contribution, establishing the impact of magnetism on transport. 

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5. Applying Unconventional Spectroscopies to the Single‐Molecule Magnets, Co(PPh ₃ ) ₂ X ₂ (X=Cl, Br, I): Unveiling Magnetic Transitions and Spin‐Phonon Coupling

   https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202100705  

   Bone, Alexandria_N; Widener, Chelsea_N; Moseley, Duncan_H; Liu, Zhiming; Lu, Zhengguang; Cheng, Yongqiang; Daemen, Luke_L; Ozerov, Mykhaylo; Telser, Joshua; Thirunavukkuarasu, Komalavalli; et al (August 2021, Chemistry – A European Journal)

   Abstract Large separation of magnetic levels and slow relaxation in metal complexes are desirable properties of single‐molecule magnets (SMMs). Spin‐phonon coupling (interactions of magnetic levels with phonons) is ubiquitous, leading to magnetic relaxation and loss of memory in SMMs and quantum coherence in qubits. Direct observation of magnetic transitions and spin‐phonon coupling in molecules is challenging. We have found that far‐IR magnetic spectra (FIRMS) of Co(PPh₃)₂X₂(Co‐X; X=Cl, Br, I) reveal rarely observed spin‐phonon coupling as avoided crossings between magnetic andu‐symmetry phonon transitions. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) gives phonon spectra. Calculations using VASP and phonopy programs gave phonon symmetries and movies. Magnetic transitions among zero‐field split (ZFS) levels of theS=3/2 electronic ground state were probed by INS, high‐frequency and ‐field EPR (HFEPR), FIRMS, and frequency‐domain FT terahertz EPR (FD‐FT THz‐EPR), giving magnetic excitation spectra and determining ZFS parameters (D, E) andgvalues. Ligand‐field theory (LFT) was used to analyze earlier electronic absorption spectra and give calculated ZFS parameters matching those from the experiments. DFT calculations also gave spin densities inCo‐X, showing that the larger Co(II) spin density in a molecule, the larger its ZFS magnitude. The current work reveals dynamics of magnetic and phonon excitations in SMMs. Studies of such couplings in the future would help to understand how spin‐phonon coupling may lead to magnetic relaxation and develop guidance to control such coupling. 

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