Ferroelectric Control of Magnetic Skyrmions in Two-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures

Magnetic skyrmions are chiral nanoscale spin textures which are usually induced by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Recently, magnetic skyrmions have been observed in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic materials, such as Fe₃GeTe₂. The electric control of skyrmions is important for their potential application in low-power memory technologies. Here, we predict that DMI and magnetic skyrmions in a Fe₃GeTe₂ monolayer can be controlled by ferroelectric polarization of an adjacent 2D vdW ferroelectric In₂Se₃. Based on density functional theory and atomistic spin-dynamics modeling, we find that the interfacial symmetry breaking produces a sizable DMI in a Fe₃GeTe₂/In₂Se₃ vdW heterostructure. We show that the magnitude of DMI can be controlled by ferroelectric polarization reversal, leading to creation and annihilation of skyrmions. Furthermore, we find that the sign of DMI in a In₂Se₃/Fe₃GeTe₂/In₂Se₃ heterostructure changes with ferroelectric switching reversing the skyrmion chirality. The predicted electrically controlled skyrmion formation may be interesting for spintronic applications.