The effect of low-level substitutional disorder on Néel-skyrmion systems

The polar magnetic semiconductors GaV4S8 and GaV4Se8 have recently attracted attention as one of only two families of bulk materials hosting Néel-type skyrmions: nano-sized topological magnetic vortices that show promise for future data-storage applications. Our previous LF-muSR work on these two materials has helped determine the region of skyrmion stability in the magnetic phase diagram, and show that the Néel skyrmion state leads to an enhanced dynamic response in the muon time-window. Here we propose to extend our understanding of Néel skyrmions by investigating the effect of disorder on the magnetism of GaV4S(8-y)Se(y) under low-level substitutions of S/Se with y = 0.1 and y = 7.9.