Magnetic relaxation between ferromagnetic and helix spin configurations in holmium films

Abstract Multiple noncollinear spin structures and transitions between them initiated by field and temperature have attracted attention due to the extraordinary coexistence of complicated spin phases in Ho. We explore the magnetic relaxation dynamics within thin films undergoing transitions between ferromagnetic (FM) and helix states. When measuring susceptibility in a relatively high frequency range (∼100–1500 Hz) and magnetic viscosity at lower frequency (∼0.01 Hz), we focus on 400 nm thick Ho film. Notably, sharp variations in the real and imaginary components of magnetic susceptibility are discerned during the FM – Helix transition, occurring at temperatures between 15 and 30 K. Hysteresis effects in the magnetic susceptibility components are identified during cyclic variations in the external field, indicating a relatively rapid process with a timescale of approximately 10 ms accompanying the FM – Helix transition. The slow relaxation process is also found to exhibit sensitivity to this transition. Furthermore, the field dependence of magnetic viscosity displays a marked decline at the FM – Helix transition. The research methodologies proposed for the investigation of relaxation processes in materials with multiphase spin structures are deemed universally applicable and offer insights into transitions between spin states in materials manifesting non collinear spin structures.