2015/02/27 by Constance Moreau-Luchaire, C. Moreau-Luchaire, C. Moutafis +28 · 25 citations
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Chemical physics #Cobalt #Condensed matter physics #Magnet #Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materials #Magnetic field #Magnetic force microscope #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnetic storage #Magnetization #Materials science #Nanoscopic scale #Nanotechnology #Perpendicular #Physics #Skyrmion #Theoretical and Computational Physics #Thin film #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/nnano.2015.313
published as Nature Nanotechnology 11, 444 (2016)
arxiv created 2015/02/27 · openalex publication_date 2016/01/18 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · arxiv updated 2018/01/08 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Facing the ever-growing demand for data storage will most probably require a new paradigm. Magnetic skyrmions are anticipated to solve this issue as they are arguably the smallest spin textures in magnetic thin films in nature. We designed cobalt-based multilayered thin films where the cobalt layer is sandwiched between two heavy metals providing additive interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, which reach about 2 mJ/m2 in the case of the Ir/Co/Pt multilayers. Using a magnetization-sensitive scanning x-ray transmission microscopy technique, we imaged magnetic bubble-like domains in these multilayers. The study of their behavir in magnetic field allows us to conclude that they are actually magnetic skyrmions stabilized by the Dzyaloshinsskii-Moriya interaction. This discoevry of stable skyrmions at room temperature in a technologically relevant material opens the way for device applications in a near future.