Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2025
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Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
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Spontaneous Chiral Symmetry Breaking and Lane Formation in Ferromagnetic Ferrofluids
Mojca Vilfan1,2, Borut Lampret1, Žiga Gregorin1
1J. Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 29, 2023
Summary
Researchers observed spontaneous stripe formation in ferromagnetic ferrofluids under oscillating magnetic fields. These stripes exhibit bidirectional fluid flow, indicating a spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in the magnetic material.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Ferromagnetic ferrofluids contain magnetic nanoplatelets in a fluid, forming stable magnetic domains and exhibiting magnetization without an external field.
- These materials possess unique properties due to their magnetic and fluid characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally observe and characterize spontaneous stripe formation in ferromagnetic ferrofluids.
- To investigate the dynamics and flow patterns associated with these stripe structures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an oscillating external magnetic field applied to a ferromagnetic ferrofluid.
- Employed a space-time correlation technique to measure fluid velocity profiles by tracking thermal fluctuations.
Main Results:
- Observed spontaneous formation of elongated magnetic domains (stripes) perpendicular to the applied magnetic field.
- Measured bidirectional fluid flow in alternating lanes between domains, with velocities up to several µm/s.
- Demonstrated stripe reorientation upon magnetic field reversal.
Conclusions:
- The observed stripe formation and bidirectional flow suggest spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in ferromagnetic ferrofluids.
- The alternating rotation of magnetic nanoparticles in neighboring stripes explains the observed flow patterns.
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