Uniaxial strain-induced spin textures transition in the kagome magnet Fe3Sn2

Abstract

The mechanical control of magnetism represents a promising frontier in spintronics. However, its experimental application is mostly confined to the elastic strain regime, which limits the exploration of magnetic responses under larger strain. Here, by applying uniaxial compressive strain to induce plastic deformation in an Fe3Sn2 lamella, we directly observed the room-temperature transformation of stripes into an intermediate state comprising vortices, stripes, and antivortex chains. This intermediate state was accessed by cycling either the magnetic field under fixed strain or the strain under a fixed magnetic field. The mixed state is metastable and evolves into vortices under the applied magnetic field. Micromagnetic simulations indicate that large strain induces a transition from out-of-plane easy axis to easy-plane anisotropy in Fe3Sn2, thereby facilitating the stripe-to-vortex transformation. By unraveling the strain-mediated interactions between magnetic anisotropy and domain structures, we provide crucial insights for the development of strain-controlled spintronic devices.