Stabilizing spin spirals and isolated skyrmions at low magnetic field exploiting vanishing magnetic anisotropy

Marie Hervé (), Bertrand Dupé (), Rafael Lopes, Marie Böttcher, Maximiliano D. Martins, Timofey Balashov, Lukas Gerhard, Jairo Sinova and Wulf Wulfhekel
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Marie Hervé: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Bertrand Dupé: Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
Rafael Lopes: Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear
Marie Böttcher: Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
Maximiliano D. Martins: Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear
Timofey Balashov: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Lukas Gerhard: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Jairo Sinova: Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
Wulf Wulfhekel: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Skyrmions are topologically protected non-collinear magnetic structures. Their stability is ideally suited to carry information in, e.g., racetrack memories. The success of such a memory critically depends on the ability to stabilize and manipulate skyrmions at low magnetic fields. The non-collinear Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction originating from spin-orbit coupling drives skyrmion formation. It competes with Heisenberg exchange and magnetic anisotropy favoring collinear states. Isolated skyrmions in ultra-thin films so far required magnetic fields as high as several Tesla. Here, we show that isolated skyrmions in a monolayer of Co/Ru(0001) can be stabilized down to vanishing fields. Even with the weak spin-orbit coupling of the 4d element Ru, homochiral spin spirals and isolated skyrmions were detected with spin-sensitive scanning tunneling microscopy. Density functional theory calculations explain the stability of the chiral magnetic features by the absence of magnetic anisotropy energy.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03240-w

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