Diffraction imaging study of the phase coexistence around the triple point in MnP

Abstract The coexistence of the helimagnetic, ferromagnetic and fan phases in the neighborhood of the triple point is investigated by real-time Bragg diffraction imaging in a (0 0 1) MnP crystal. When increasing the field while retaining the heli–ferromagnetic coexistence, the nucleation of the fan phase occurs inside the present interface. The shapes and orientations of the heli–ferromagnetic and fan–helimagnetic interfaces can be understood by considering the corresponding elastic and/or magnetostatic energy. The ferromagnetic–fan thick interface, on the contrary, suggests the existence of intermediate states.