Symmetry breaking in spin spirals and skyrmions by in-plane and canted magnetic fields

Abstract

The influence of in-plane and canted magnetic fields on spin spirals and skyrmions in atomic bilayer islands of palladium and iron on an Ir(111) substrate is investigated by scanning tunnelling microscopy at low temperatures. It is shown that the spin spiral propagation direction is determined by the island's border which can be explained by equilibrium state calculations on a triangular lattice. By application of in-plane fields, the spin spiral reorientates its propagation direction and becomes distorted, thereby allowing a proof for its cycloidal nature. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the skyrmions' shape is distorted in canted fields which allows to determine the sense of magnetisation rotation as enforced by the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.

Skyrmions at the Edge: Confinement Effects in Fe/Ir(111)

“…This configuration is reminiscent of the coupling of spin spirals to edges in PdFe/Ir(111) [26] and the edge tilt observed in simulations of DM dominated systems [27].…”

Observation of stable Néel skyrmions in cobalt/palladium multilayers with Lorentz transmission electron microscopy

“…While a component of the magnetic field in the plane of the sample is present during the imaging process, it is not predicted to cause significant changes to the observed domain structure 48 . Figure 7 and Supplementary Movie 1 show the domain structure during in-situ application of a magnetic field opposite the initialization direction.…”

Cycloidal Domains in the Magnetization Reversal Process of Ni80Fe20/Nd16Co84/Gd12CoQuirós1, Hierro-Rodríguez2, Sorrentino3 et al. 2018Phys. Rev. Applied5060View full textAdd to dashboardCite

“…Then, the most stable structures are formed by the combination of helical and cycloidal domains [Figs. 1(a) and 1(b)], as recently proposed and observed in chiral magnets [4,5,[19][20][21][22]. In a simple helical domain structure, periodic along y, the magnetization rotates 2π rad in the M x -M z plane as sketched in Fig.…”

“…Three-dimensional magnetic textures nucleate in magnetic materials as a result of the competition of anisotropy, exchange, and magnetostatic interactions. Skyrmions and helical domains occur in bulk materials with chiral exchange interactions [1,2] and also in films and nanostructures where their configuration can be tailored by confinement effects [3][4][5]. Noncollinear textures can also be stabilized by dipolar interactions in weak perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (WPMA) materials (e.g., dipolar skyrmions in Gd/Fe [6] and dipolar merons in NdCo layers [7]) or by precessional dynamics [8].…”

“…A characteristic feature of such noncollinear spin systems is the presence of helical domains, stabilized by chiral magnetic interactions [1,2,18]. For thin films or in bulk materials close to sample surfaces, spin spirals can be modified by confinement effects and dipolar interactions that favor in-plane magnetization orientation [4,5]. Then, the most stable structures are formed by the combination of helical and cycloidal domains [Figs.…”