Electric-field-driven non-volatile multi-state switching of individual skyrmions in a multiferroic heterostructure

Yadong Wang, Lei Wang, Jing Xia, Zhengxun Lai, Guo Tian, Xichao Zhang, Zhipeng Hou (), Xingsen Gao (), Wenbo Mi, Chun Feng (), Min Zeng, Guofu Zhou, Guanghua Yu, Guangheng Wu, Yan Zhou, Wenhong Wang, Xi-xiang Zhang and Junming Liu
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Yadong Wang: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute for Advanced Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University
Lei Wang: University of Science and Technology Beijing
Jing Xia: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Zhengxun Lai: Tianjin University
Guo Tian: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute for Advanced Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University
Xichao Zhang: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Zhipeng Hou: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute for Advanced Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University
Xingsen Gao: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute for Advanced Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University
Wenbo Mi: Tianjin University
Chun Feng: University of Science and Technology Beijing
Min Zeng: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute for Advanced Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University
Guofu Zhou: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute for Advanced Materials, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University
Guanghua Yu: University of Science and Technology Beijing
Guangheng Wu: Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yan Zhou: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Wenhong Wang: Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xi-xiang Zhang: Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Junming Liu: Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Electrical manipulation of skyrmions attracts considerable attention for its rich physics and promising applications. To date, such a manipulation is realized mainly via spin-polarized current based on spin-transfer torque or spin–orbital torque effect. However, this scheme is energy consuming and may produce massive Joule heating. To reduce energy dissipation and risk of heightened temperatures of skyrmion-based devices, an effective solution is to use electric field instead of current as stimulus. Here, we realize an electric-field manipulation of skyrmions in a nanostructured ferromagnetic/ferroelectrical heterostructure at room temperature via an inverse magneto-mechanical effect. Intriguingly, such a manipulation is non-volatile and exhibits a multistate feature. Numerical simulations indicate that the electric-field manipulation of skyrmions originates from strain-mediated modification of effective magnetic anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction. Our results open a direction for constructing low-energy-dissipation, non-volatile, and multistate skyrmion-based spintronic devices.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17354-7

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