Robust Spin-Moiré-Superlattice-Driven Gap Opening in EuAg<sub>4</sub>Sb<sub>2</sub> under in-Plane Magnetic Field

ORAL

Abstract

Moiré superlattices introduce new length and energy scales, enabling discoveries, such as unconventional superconductivity, in 2D systems. This concept has recently been extended to bulk materials with multiple-q spin textures, opening exciting opportunities for spin moiré physics. A notable example is EuAg4Sb2, where a spin moiré superlattice (SMS), manifested as a double-q spin modulation, induces a superzone gap opening. 

In this talk, we will present results on the tunability of this gap under an in-plane magnetic field in EuAg₄Sb₂, using neutron scattering, magnetization, and transport measurements.  We identify a cycloidal magnetic ground state and observe multiple spin-reoriented phases induced by the in-plane field, highlighting the critical role of in-plane spin components in driving magnetic transitions. Moreover, we demonstrate that a robust gap opening persists in the double-q phase, regardless of in-plane field orientation. Model calculations attribute this robustness to the stability of the SMS under tilted magnetic fields. These results establish EuAg₄Sb₂ as a tunable platform for exploring spin-texture–driven electronic reconstruction and advancing the emerging field of spin-moiré physics in bulk correlated systems.

*Acknowledgement: We acknowledge funding support from DOE Award Number DE-SC0021117, DOE BES Early Career Award KC0402010, Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725, DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the ORNL, DOE Quantum Science Center, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Grant No. 8048, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (Guggenheim Fellowship).

Publication: J. Green, A. Arora, M. Marshall, W. Shan, P. Udvarhelyi, Z. Morgan, P. Narang, H. Cao, and N. Ni, Robust Spin-Moiré-Superlattice-Driven Gap Opening in EuAg4 Sb2 under in-Plane Magnetic Field, Nano Lett. 25, 13723 (2025).

Presenters

  • J Green

    • University of California, Los Angeles

Authors

  • J Green

    • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Arpit Arora

    • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Madalynn Marshall

    • Kennesaw State University
  • Wanfei Shan

    • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Péter Udvarhelyi

    • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Zachary J Morgan

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Prineha Narang

    • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Huibo Cao

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Ni Ni

    • University of California, Los Angeles