Flexomagnetism, the coupling of magnetic ordering to strain gradients, provides access to novel symmetry-broken magnetic phases that cannot be accessed via uniform strain. However, flexomagnetism is hard to understand because it is extremely difficult to control a spatially varying strain. Here, we develop a top-down strategy to pattern transverse strain gradients using helium ion implantation through a lithographically defined mask. Using epitaxial films of the antiferromagnetic nodal line semimetal GdAuGe, we demonstrate that transverse strain gradients ∂εzz/∂x induce near-room-temperature ferromagnetic response, compared to the retained para or antiferromagnetism for homogeneously strained GdAuGe. We spatially correlate the magnetic response with the regions of largest strain gradient, via magnetic force microscopy and nanobeam x-ray diffraction, respectively, to confirm the flexomagnetic response. Our approach opens new avenues for the precise control of magnetic phases in thin films of quantum materials via a patterned strain gradient.
@article{arxiv.2602.23494,
title = {Strain patterning of flexomagnetism},
author = {Tamalika Samanta and Zachary T. LaDuca and An-Hsi Chen and Sangsoo Kim and Ying-Ting Chan and Jiaxuan Wu and Yujia Teng and Debarghya Mallick and Matthew Brahlek and T. Zac Ward and Katherine Su and Jia-Mian Hu and Weida Wu and Turan Birol and Hanfei Yan and Michael S. Arnold and Karin M. Rabe and Jason K. Kawasaki},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.23494},
year = {2026}
}