Partial ordering and phase elasticity in the MnGe short-period helimagnet
Abstract
We study the helimagnetic ground state of the MnGe cubic alloy using small-angle neutron scattering and a high-resolution method, the so-called MIEZE spectroscopy. Upon cooling below the Néel temperature TN=170 (5 ) K , we observe the proliferation of long-wavelength gapless spin fluctuations, concomitant with a continuous evolution of the helical correlation length. These fluctuations disappear at Tcom=32 (5 ) K when the helical period becomes commensurate with the lattice. We propose to describe this intermediate phase as a soliton lattice, promoting nonlinear collective modes, or phasons, over a large temperature interval. We discuss the possible relevance of our results to the previously observed magnetotransport anomalies.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review B
- Pub Date:
- March 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.99.100402
- Bibcode:
- 2019PhRvB..99j0402M