Slowdown of photoexcited spin dynamics in the non-collinear spin-ordered phases in skyrmion host GaV₄S₈

Formation of magnetic order alters the character of spin excitations, which then affects transport properties. We investigate the photoexcited ultrafast spin dynamics in different magnetic phases in Néel-type skyrmion host GaV₄S₈ with time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect experiments. The coherent spin precession, whose amplitude is enhanced in the skyrmion-lattice phase, shows a signature of phase coexistence across the magnetic phase transitions. The incoherent spin relaxation dynamics slows down by a factor of two in the skyrmion-lattice/cycloid phases, indicating significant decrease in thermal conductivity triggered by a small change of magnetic field. The slow heat diffusion in the skyrmion-lattice/cycloid phases is attributed to the stronger magnon scattering off the domain walls formed in abundance in the skyrmion-lattice/cycloid phase. These results highlight the impact of spatial spin structure on the ultrafast heat transport in spin systems, providing a useful insight for the step toward ultrafast photocontrol of the magnets with novel spin orders.