Role of Competing Magnetic Exchange on Non-Collinear to Collinear Magnetic Ordering and Skyrmion Stabilization in Centrosymmetric Hexagonal Magnets

Topological magnetic skyrmions with helicity state degrees of freedom in centrosymmetric magnets possess great potential for advanced spintronics applications and quantum computing. Till date, the skyrmion study in this class of materials mostly remains focused to collinear ferromagnets with uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. Here, we present a combined theoretical and experimental study on the competing magnetic exchange-induced evolution of noncollinear magnetic ground states and its impact on the skyrmion formation in a series of centrosymmetric hexagonal noncollinear magnets, MnFe_1-<i>x</i>Co_<i>x</i>Ge. We show that by engineering the Fe/Co ratio, the system progressively transforms from a noncollinear magnetic state with in-plane antiferromagnetic ordering in MnFeGe to a collinear ferromagnetic (FM) spin arrangement in MnFe_0.2Co_0.8Ge. We utilize Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, neutron diffraction experiments, and micromagnetic simulations to demonstrate the role of competing magnetic exchange-induced in-plane magnetic moment in the formation of nontopological type-II magnetic bubbles in the system. However, skyrmions with degenerate helicity states are found to be stable magnetic entities in the case of the perfect uniaxial magnetic anisotropy system. The present study offers a great opportunity to tune the skyrmion phase in centrosymmetric magnets by intrinsically designing the magnetic ground state, thereby providing a unique platform for realizing skyrmion-based spintronics devices.