Magnetic Phase Dependence of the Anomalous Hall Effect in Mn$_3$Sn Single Crystals

Abstract

Thermodynamic and transport properties are reported on single crystals of the hexagonal antiferromagnet Mn$_3$Sn grown by the Sn flux technique. Magnetization measurements reveal two magnetic phase transitions at $T_1$ = 275 K and $T_2$ = 200 K, below the antiferromagnetic phase transition at $T_N$ $\approx$ 420 K. The Hall conductivity in zero magnetic field is suppressed dramatically from 4.7 $\Omega^{-1}$cm$^{-1}$ to near zero below $T_1$, coincident with the vanishing of the weak ferromagnetic moment. This illustrates that the large anomalous Hall effect (AHE) arising from the Berry curvature can be switched on and off by a subtle change in the symmetry of the magnetic structure near room temperature.