Three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal
Abstract Multiferroic materials can host a plethora of intriguing phenomena due to the presence of multiple ferroic properties that break both spatial inversion symmetry and time reversal symmetry at an observable scale. Hexagonal manganite multiferroics are of particular interest as the properties...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Materials |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00738-x |
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| author | Mansoor A. Najeeb David Serban Daniel G. Porter Frank Lichtenberg Stephen P. Collins Alessandro Bombardi Nicola A. Spaldin Marcus C. Newton |
| author_facet | Mansoor A. Najeeb David Serban Daniel G. Porter Frank Lichtenberg Stephen P. Collins Alessandro Bombardi Nicola A. Spaldin Marcus C. Newton |
| author_sort | Mansoor A. Najeeb |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Multiferroic materials can host a plethora of intriguing phenomena due to the presence of multiple ferroic properties that break both spatial inversion symmetry and time reversal symmetry at an observable scale. Hexagonal manganite multiferroics are of particular interest as the properties of their symmetry-lowering phase transition can be described by a Mexican-hat-like potential energy surface. The early universe is proposed to have undergone a symmetry-lowering phase transition that is described by a similar Mexican-hat-like potential that gives rise to the formation of one-dimensional topologically protected defects known as cosmic strings. According to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, hexagonal manganite multiferroics can host the crystallographic equivalent of cosmic strings and can therefore serve as a testing ground for exploration of concepts in cosmology. To date, however, direct imaging of 1D topological defects in a condensed matter material system has not been achieved. Here we report on robust three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a single hexagonal manganite nanocrystal, enabled by advances in experimental techniques. Our findings reveal multiferroic strings with a preferred phase vortex winding direction and average separation of ~93 nm. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b679a41bc37348e398c36384ac10b58f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4443 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-b679a41bc37348e398c36384ac10b58f2025-01-19T12:32:53ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Materials2662-44432025-01-01611810.1038/s43246-025-00738-xThree-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystalMansoor A. Najeeb0David Serban1Daniel G. Porter2Frank Lichtenberg3Stephen P. Collins4Alessandro Bombardi5Nicola A. Spaldin6Marcus C. Newton7Physics & Astronomy, University of SouthamptonPhysics & Astronomy, University of SouthamptonDiamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation CampusDepartment of Materials, ETH ZürichDiamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation CampusDiamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation CampusDepartment of Materials, ETH ZürichPhysics & Astronomy, University of SouthamptonAbstract Multiferroic materials can host a plethora of intriguing phenomena due to the presence of multiple ferroic properties that break both spatial inversion symmetry and time reversal symmetry at an observable scale. Hexagonal manganite multiferroics are of particular interest as the properties of their symmetry-lowering phase transition can be described by a Mexican-hat-like potential energy surface. The early universe is proposed to have undergone a symmetry-lowering phase transition that is described by a similar Mexican-hat-like potential that gives rise to the formation of one-dimensional topologically protected defects known as cosmic strings. According to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, hexagonal manganite multiferroics can host the crystallographic equivalent of cosmic strings and can therefore serve as a testing ground for exploration of concepts in cosmology. To date, however, direct imaging of 1D topological defects in a condensed matter material system has not been achieved. Here we report on robust three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a single hexagonal manganite nanocrystal, enabled by advances in experimental techniques. Our findings reveal multiferroic strings with a preferred phase vortex winding direction and average separation of ~93 nm.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00738-x |
| spellingShingle | Mansoor A. Najeeb David Serban Daniel G. Porter Frank Lichtenberg Stephen P. Collins Alessandro Bombardi Nicola A. Spaldin Marcus C. Newton Three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal Communications Materials |
| title | Three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal |
| title_full | Three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal |
| title_fullStr | Three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal |
| title_short | Three-dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal |
| title_sort | three dimensional imaging of topologically protected strings in a multiferroic nanocrystal |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00738-x |
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