Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


Title: Electric-field control of skyrmions in multiferroic heterostructure via magnetoelectric coupling
Abstract Room-temperature skyrmions in magnetic multilayers are considered to be promising candidates for the next-generation spintronic devices. Several approaches have been developed to control skyrmions, but they either cause significant heat dissipation or require ultrahigh electric fields near the breakdown threshold. Here, we demonstrate electric-field control of skyrmions through strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling in ferromagnetic/ferroelectric multiferroic heterostructures. We show the process of non-volatile creation of multiple skyrmions, reversible deformation and annihilation of a single skyrmion by performing magnetic force microscopy with in situ electric fields. Strain-induced changes in perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction strength are characterized experimentally. These experimental results, together with micromagnetic simulations, demonstrate that strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling (via strain-induced changes in both the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction is responsible for the observed electric-field control of skyrmions. Our work provides a platform to investigate electric-field control of skyrmions in multiferroic heterostructures and paves the way towards more energy-efficient skyrmion-based spintronics.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2006028
PAR ID:
10248153
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Volume:
12
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2041-1723
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Nature Communications)
    Abstract The promise of high-density and low-energy-consumption devices motivates the search for layered structures that stabilize chiral spin textures such as topologically protected skyrmions. At the same time, recently discovered long-range intrinsic magnetic orders in the two-dimensional van der Waals materials provide a new platform for the discovery of novel physics and effects. Here we demonstrate the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and Néel-type skyrmions are induced at the WTe 2 /Fe 3 GeTe 2 interface. Transport measurements show the topological Hall effect in this heterostructure for temperatures below 100 K. Furthermore, Lorentz transmission electron microscopy is used to directly image Néel-type skyrmion lattice and the stripe-like magnetic domain structures as well. The interfacial coupling induced Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction is estimated to have a large energy of 1.0 mJ m −2 . This work paves a path towards the skyrmionic devices based on van der Waals layered heterostructures. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Advanced Materials)
    Abstract Magnetic skyrmions are topologically nontrivial chiral spin textures that have potential applications in next‐generation energy‐efficient and high‐density spintronic devices. In general, the chiral spins of skyrmions are stabilized by the noncollinear Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI), originating from the inversion symmetry breaking combined with the strong spin–orbit coupling (SOC). Here, the strong SOC from topological insulators (TIs) is utilized to provide a large interfacial DMI in TI/ferrimagnet heterostructures at room temperature, resulting in small‐size (radius ≈ 100 nm) skyrmions in the adjacent ferrimagnet. Antiferromagnetically coupled skyrmion sublattices are observed in the ferrimagnet by element‐resolved scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy, showing the potential of a vanishing skyrmion Hall effect and ultrafast skyrmion dynamics. The line‐scan spin profile of the single skyrmion shows a Néel‐type domain wall structure and a 120 nm size of the 180° domain wall. This work demonstrates the sizable DMI and small skyrmions in TI‐based heterostructures with great promise for low‐energy spintronic devices. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Small)
    Abstract Topological spin textures (e.g., skyrmions) can be stabilized by interfacial Dzyaloshinskii‐Moriya interaction (DMI) in the magnetic multilayer, which has been intensively studied. Recently, Bloch‐type magnetic skyrmions stabilized by composition gradient‐induced DMI (g‐DMI) have been observed in 10‐nm thick CoPt single layer. However, magnetic anisotropy in gradient‐composition engineered CoPt (g‐CoPt) films is highly sensitive to both the relative Co/Pt composition and the film thickness, leading to a complex interplay with g‐DMI. The stability of skyrmions under the combined influence of magnetic anisotropy and g‐DMI is crucial yet remains poorly understood. Here, we condcut a systematic study on the characteristics of magnetic skyrmions as a function of gradient polarity and effective gradient (defined as gradient/thickness) in g‐CoPt single layers (thickness of 10–30 nm) using magnetic force microscopy (MFM), bulk magnetometry, and topological Hall effect measurements. Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy confirms that both the sign and magnitude of g‐DMI depend on the polarity and amplitude of the composition gradient in g‐CoPt films. MFM reveals that skyrmion size and density vary with g‐CoPt film thickness, gradient polarity, and applied magnetic field. An increased skyrmion density is observed in samples exhibiting higher magnetic anisotropy, in agreement with micromagnetic simulations and energy barrier calculations. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; (, AIP Advances)
    Canted antiferromagnets GdCrO3 and GdFeO3 have drawn extensive attention due to large magnetoelectric effects, although low temperature multiferroic ordering currently limits possible applications. Iron substitution into GdCrO3 increases both antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric transition temperatures. Room temperature magnetoelectric coupling in a single-phase material has yet to be realized. Here, we report the synthesis of a strained GdFe0.5Cr0.5O3 thin film grown on SrTiO3 and investigation of magnetic domain structure and temperature dependence with scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopy. Magnetic domain structure remains above 70 K although magnetization of the domain dramatically decreases, which is consistent with bulk hysteresis measurements, in contrast to unstrained samples previously studied. Our results suggest strain tuning Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in GdFe0.5Cr0.5O3 offers a route to control multiferroic properties in this family of materials. 
    more » « less
  5. ; (, Journal of Applied Physics)
    Synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) nanostructures with an interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction can host topologically distinct spin textures, such as skyrmions, and therefore, are regarded as promising candidates for both spintronics and magnonics applications. Here, we present comprehensive micromagnetic simulations of such material systems and discuss the rich phase diagrams that contain various types of magnetic configurations. Aside from the static properties, we further discuss the resonant excitations of the calculated magnetic states, which include individual skyrmions and skyrmioniums. Finally, the internal modes of SAF skyrmion clusters are studied and discussed in the context of magnetic sensing applications based on the dynamic fingerprint in broadband ferromagnetic resonance measurements. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Text Encoded Conversion
  • XML
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email