Infrared imaging of magnetic octupole domains in non-collinear antiferromagnets

Magnetic structure plays a pivotal role in the functionality of antiferromagnets (AFMs), which not only can be employed to encode digital data but also yields novel phenomena. Despite its growing significance, visualizing the antiferromagnetic domain structure remains a challenge, particularly for non-collinear AFMs. Currently, the observation of magnetic domains in non-collinear antiferromagnetic materials is feasible only in Mn₃Sn, underscoring the limitations of existing techniques that necessitate distinct methods for in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic domain imaging. In this study, we present a versatile method for imaging the antiferromagnetic domain structure in a series of non-collinear antiferromagnetic materials by utilizing the anomalous Ettingshausen effect (AEE), which resolves both the magnetic octupole moments parallel and perpendicular to the sample surface. Temperature modulation due to AEE originating from different magnetic domains is measured by lock-in thermography, revealing distinct behaviors of octupole domains in different antiferromagnets. This work delivers an efficient technique for the visualization of magnetic domains in non-collinear AFMs, which enables comprehensive study of the magnetization process at the microscopic level and paves the way for potential advancements in applications.