Antiferromagnetic half-skyrmions electrically generated and controlled at room temperature

DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01386-3

Authors: O. J. Amin (University of Nottingham) , S. F. Poole (University of Nottingham) , S. Reimers (University of Nottingham; Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz) , L. X. Barton (University of Nottingham) , A. Dal Din (University of Nottingham) , F. Maccherozzi (Diamond Light Source) , S. S. Dhesi (Diamond Light Source) , V. Novák (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences) , F. Krizek (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences) , J. S. Chauhan (University of Nottingham) , R. P. Campion (University of Nottingham) , A. W. Rushforth (University of Nottingham) , T. Jungwirth (University of Nottingham; Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences) , O. A. Tretiakov (The University of New South Wales) , K. W. Edmonds (University of Nottingham) , P. Wadley (University of Nottingham)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nature Nanotechnology , VOL 6

State: Published (Approved)
Published: May 2023
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 26255 , 27845

Abstract: Topologically protected magnetic textures are promising candidates for information carriers in future memory devices, as they can be efficiently propelled at very high velocities using current-induced spin torques. These textures—nanoscale whirls in the magnetic order—include skyrmions, half-skyrmions (merons) and their antiparticles. Antiferromagnets have been shown to host versions of these textures that have high potential for terahertz dynamics, deflection-free motion and improved size scaling due to the absence of stray field. Here we show that topological spin textures, merons and antimerons, can be generated at room temperature and reversibly moved using electrical pulses in thin-film CuMnAs, a semimetallic antiferromagnet that is a testbed system for spintronic applications. The merons and antimerons are localized on 180° domain walls, and move in the direction of the current pulses. The electrical generation and manipulation of antiferromagnetic merons is a crucial step towards realizing the full potential of antiferromagnetic thin films as active components in high-density, high-speed magnetic memory devices.

Diamond Keywords: Data Storage; Antiferromagnetism; Skyrmions

Subject Areas: Materials, Physics, Information and Communication Technology


Instruments: I06-Nanoscience (XPEEM)

Added On: 10/05/2023 15:11

Documents:
s41565-023-01386-3.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Quantum Materials Physics Components & Micro-systems Information & Communication Technologies Magnetism Materials Science

Technical Tags:

Microscopy Electron Microscopy (EM) PhotoEmmission Electron Microscopy (PEEM)