Quantum transport of quasi–two-dimensional Dirac fermions is largely controlled by magnetic order in a layered magnet.

We have studied the magnetization of the recently discovered heavy fermion superconductor UTe 2 up to 56 T in pulsed-magnetic fields. A first-order metamagnetic transition has been clearly observed at H m =34.9 T when the magnetic field H is applied along the orthorhombic hard-magnetization b-axis. The transition has a critical end point at ∼11 K and 34.8 T, where the first order transition terminates and changes into a crossover regime. Using the thermodynamic Maxwell relation, we have evaluated the field dependence of the Sommerfeld coefficient of the specific heat directly related to the superconducting pairing. From the analysis, we found a significant enhancement of the effective mass centered at H m , which is reminiscent of the field-reentrant superconductivity of the ferromagnet URhGe in transverse fields. We discuss the origin of their field-robust superconductivity.

We have synthesized high-quality single crystals of volborthite, a seemingly distorted kagome antiferromagnet, and carried out high-field magnetization measurements up to 74 T and ^{51}V NMR measurements up to 30 T. An extremely wide 1/3 magnetization plateau appears above 28 T and continues over 74 T at 1.4 K, which has not been observed in previous studies using polycrystalline samples. NMR spectra reveal an incommensurate order (most likely a spin-density wave order) below 22 T and a simple spin structure in the plateau phase. Moreover, a novel intermediate phase is found between 23 and 26 T, where the magnetization varies linearly with magnetic field and the NMR spectra indicate an inhomogeneous distribution of the internal magnetic field. This sequence of phases in volborthite bears a striking similarity to those of frustrated spin chains with a ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor coupling J_{1} competing with an antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor coupling J_{2}.

Manipulating topological spin textures is a key for exploring unprecedented emergent electromagnetic phenomena. Whereas switching control of magnetic skyrmions, e.g., the transitions between a skyrmion-lattice phase and conventional magnetic orders, is intensively studied towards development of future memory device concepts, transitions among spin textures with different topological orders remain largely unexplored. Here we develop a series of chiral magnets MnSi 1− x Ge x , serving as a platform for transitions among skyrmion- and hedgehog-lattice states. By neutron scattering, Lorentz transmission electron microscopy and high-field transport measurements, we observe three different topological spin textures with variation of the lattice constant controlled by Si/Ge substitution: two-dimensional skyrmion lattice in x = 0–0.25 and two distinct three-dimensional hedgehog lattices in x = 0.3–0.6 and x = 0.7–1. The emergence of various topological spin states in the chemical-pressure-controlled materials suggests a new route for direct manipulation of the spin-texture topology by facile mechanical methods.

A well known semiconductor Cd3As2 has reentered the spotlight due to its unique electronic structure and quantum transport phenomena as a topological Dirac semimetal. For elucidating and controlling its topological quantum state, high-quality Cd3As2 thin films have been highly desired. Here we report the development of an elaborate growth technique of high-crystallinity and high-mobility Cd3As2 films with controlled thicknesses and the observation of quantum Hall effect dependent on the film thickness. With decreasing the film thickness to 10 nm, the quantum Hall states exhibit variations such as a change in the spin degeneracy reflecting the Dirac dispersion with a large Fermi velocity. Details of the electronic structure including subband splitting and gap opening are identified from the quantum transport depending on the confinement thickness, suggesting the presence of a two-dimensional topological insulating phase. The demonstration of quantum Hall states in our high-quality Cd3As2 films paves a road to study quantum transport and device application in topological Dirac semimetal and its derivative phases.

High quality single crystals of a ferromagnetic superconductor URhGe were successfully grown. The electrical resistivity was measured for the field along b-axis in the orthorhombic crystal structure in order to study precisely its field re-entrant superconductivity which occurs in the vicinity of the field HR, where the easy magnetization switches from c to b-axis. The field re-entrant superconductivity of URhGe is analyzed with special focus on its dependence with the value of residual resistivity ρ0 and the coefficient A of T 2 term of the resistivity. The experimental results are well explained by a crude model related with the field dependence of the effective mass m * , where the corresponding critical temperature Tsc(m * ) and the upper critical field Hc2 are strongly enhanced. Discussion is made on the interplay between magnetic and superconducting phase diagram as well as the link between Tsc and A in other heavy fermion superconductors.

Numerous attempts have been made to realize crossed coupling between ferroelectricity and magnetism in multiferroic materials at room temperature. BiFeO 3 is the most extensively studied multiferroic material that shows multiferroicity at temperatures significantly above room temperature. Here we present high-field experiments on high-quality mono-domain BiFeO 3 crystals reveal substantial electric polarization orthogonal to the widely recognized one along the trigonal c axis. This novel polarization appears to couple with the domains of the cycloidal spin order and, hence, can be controlled using magnetic fields. The transverse polarization shows the non-volatile memory effect at least up to 300 K.

Hydrodynamic flow of phonons, previously detected only in a handful of solids, is observed in black phosphorus.