Evolution of bulk magnetic structure in MnSi thin film: a soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism study

Abstract

Abstract Skyrmionic materials have exceptionally stable topologically protected chiral structures, the B20 helimagnetic MnSi is regarded as the best contender in this category. A non-centrosymmetric polycrystalline, MnSi thin films were fabricated on a c-sapphire substrate using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method. The structural and optical characteristics of the topological MnSi were examined using x-ray diffraction, Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy technique. The most sophisticated tools like Vibrating sample magnetometer, element-specific soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy and soft-x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) were used to probe its electronic and magnetization behaviour. The material exhibits a higher degree of magnetization signifying ferromagnetism in the bulk region as observed at ∼ 300 K and ∼ 670 K. The measured XMCD intensity at 300 K in the bulk-sensitive total-fluorescence-yield mode increased from 0 T to 2 T, which also raises the possibility of long-range ferromagnetic ordering in it. In this perspective of research, MnSi is recognised as a developing material for spintronic-based devices.