Magnetic phase diagram, magnetotransport and inverse magnetocaloric effect in the noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn5Si3

Abstract

The antiferromagnet Mn5Si3 has recently attracted attention because a noncollinear spin arrangement has been shown to produce a topological anomalous Hall effect and an inverse magnetocaloric effect. Here we synthesize single crystals of Mn5Si3 using flux growth. We determine the phase diagram through magnetization and measure the magnetoresistance and the Hall effect. We find the collinear and noncollinear antiferromagnetic phases at low temperatures and, in addition, a third magnetic phase, in between the two antiferromagnetic phases. The latter magnetic phase might be caused by strain produced by Cu inclusions. This suggests that fluctuations of the mixed character magnetic ordering in this compound can be easily quenched by stress.