Study of a novel skyrmion phase in MnSi

We propose to study a novel skyrmion phase in the prototypical skyrmion material MnSi. Whereas standard skyrmions, which are found in a narrow pocket in the phase diagram at finite field below the phase transition temperature, require fluctuations for their stabilisation, the new phase is stabilised by anisotropy. This new phase has been experimentally identified in Cu2OSeO3 using SANS. The fact that anisotropy, which is a designable materials parameter, plays a crucial role in obtaining the phase, together with the observed wide field and temperature range of existence, make this new skyrmion phase extremely promising for applications. However, the proof that this new phase is universally observable in B20 crystals is still outstanding and our aim is to explore this part of phase space in full detail.