Bloch Lines Constituting Antiskyrmions Captured via Differential Phase Contrast

Much scientific capital has been directed toward exotic magnetic spin textures called Bloch lines, that is, Neel-type line boundaries within domain walls, because their geometry promises high-density magnetic storage. While predicted to arise in high-anisotropy magnets, bulk soft magnets, and thin films with in-plane magnetization, Bloch lines also constitute magnetic antiskyrmions, that is, topological antiparticles of skyrmions. Most domain walls occur as Bloch-type or Neel-type, in which the magnetization rotates parallel or perpendicular to the domain wall across its profile, respectively. The Bloch lines' Neel-type rotation and their minute size make them difficult to directly measure. This work utilizes differential phase contrast (DPC) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to measure the in-plane magnetization of Bloch lines within antiskyrmions emergent in a non-centrosymmetric Heusler magnet withD(2d)symmetry, Mn1.4Pt0.9Pd0.1Sn, in addition to Bloch-type skyrmions in an FeGe magnet with B20-type crystal structure to benchmark the DPC technique. Both in-focus measurement and identification of Bloch lines at the antiskyrmion's corners are provided.