Tailoring the topology of an artificial magnetic skyrmion

Abstract

Despite theoretical predictions, it remains an experimental challenge to realize an artificial magnetic skyrmion whose topology can be well controlled and tailored so that its topological effect can be revealed explicitly in a deformation of the spin textures. Here we report epitaxial magnetic thin films in which an artificial skyrmion is created by embedding a magnetic vortex into an out-of-plane aligned spin environment. By changing the relative orientation between the central vortex core polarity and the surrounding out-of-plane spins, we are able to control and tailor the system between two skyrmion topological states. An in-plane magnetic field is used to annihilate the skyrmion core by converting the central vortex state into a single domain state. Our result shows distinct annihilation behaviour of the skyrmion core for the two different skyrmion states, suggesting a topological effect of the magnetic skyrmions in the core annihilation process.

A Centrosymmetric Hexagonal Magnet with Superstable Biskyrmion Magnetic Nanodomains in a Wide Temperature Range of 100–340 K

“…The very broad temperature range and magnetic field range in which the biskyrmions stably existed are extremely important for both fundamental research and potential applications in novel spintronic devices. The stability of skyrmion lattices over extended areas in their ground state at room temperature has been observed in patterned ultrathin single-layer and multilayer magnetic films with perpendicular magentic anisotropy [34][35][36][37][38] . In these systems, both the "intrinsic" interfacial DM interactions and the defect-related "extrinsic" factors (e.g., edge defects and surface roughness) played important magneto-transport properties, e.g., the quantum Hall effect and topological Hall effect, but they may also lead to the realization of skyrmion-based spintronic devices.…”

Emergent geometric frustration of artificial magnetic skyrmion crystals

“…1(c), while the Bloch type skyrmions observed in natural materials can also be used to investigate the ice configuration [98]. Additionally, the experimentally demonstrated artificial skyrmion systems [28][29][30] are potential candidates for adjusting the skyrmion position through nanostructuring and driving protocols. The possibility of changing the spin ice configuration of the proposed artificial skyrmion spin ice system with the application of spinpolarized current through the spin transfer torque effect has been demonstrated.…”

“…In contrast to the self-assembled triangular skyrmion lattice stabilized by DM interaction in some non-centrosymmetric magnetic materials [1,4,5,11,19,26], new approaches are suggested for creating and stabilizing two-dimensional artificial lattices of magnetic skyrmions by periodic modulation of either the geometrical [27][28][29][30][31][32][33] or the material properties of the magnetic thin films [34]. In this work, artificial skyrmion crystals with either square or honeycomb lattices have been created in periodically nanopatterned magnetic thin films.…”

Simultaneous control of magnetic topologies for reconfigurable vortex arrays

“…[10][11][12][13][14] Additionally, uniformly arranged vortex structures are also required to generate artificial skyrmion crystals based on magnetic vortices in proximity to perpendicularly magnetized thin films. [15][16][17][18] For effective reconfiguration of magnetic vortex structures, one key issue is reliable and efficient control of both c and p in magnetic vortices, which is also vital for storage applications. Thus far, both static and dynamic studies on the control of vortex structures have been primarily dedicated to manipulation of either the c or p alone.…”

“…Magnetic vortices have been intensively studied due to their compelling physical behavior [3][4][5][6][7] and their potential in a wide range of applications such as data storage, 8,9 signal transfer, [10][11][12] logic devices, 13 transistors 14 and artificial skyrmion crystals. [15][16][17][18] With respect to practical application of magnetic vortices in advanced nanotechnologies, one of the critical factors is the effective reconfigurability of two topologies, c and p, particularly within large and densely packed arrays of magnetic elements. 19,20 As a representative example, for successful achievement of vortex-based signal transfer and logic and transistor operations, the desired configurations of magnetic vortex states must be first established.…”