Magnetic skyrmionic structures with variable topological charges in engineered Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction...

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions exhibit complex spin textures with non-trivial topology.
• Topological charge (Q) is a key property defining their topological characteristics.
• Traditionally, Q is considered invariant and difficult to alter due to conserved chiral nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate control over the topological charge (Q) of magnetic skyrmionic structures.
• To investigate the role of spatially alternating Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in manipulating Q.
• To explore the creation and manipulation of magnetic skyrmionic structures with tunable Q.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) platform with spatially alternating signs.
• Employed chemisorbed oxygen to modify the DMI energy landscape.
• Investigated the relationship between interface crossings and the resulting topological charge (Q).

Main Results:

• Achieved room-temperature control of the topological charge (Q) in magnetic skyrmionic structures.
• Demonstrated that Q depends on the number of crossings between DMI regions with opposite signs.
• Realized a magnetic topological transition by modifying the DMI energy landscape.
• Created DMI-stabilized thin-film antiskyrmions and high-Q skyrmionic structures.

Conclusions:

• Established a novel method for controlling the topological charge (Q) of magnetic skyrmionic structures.
• Introduced a new degree of freedom for controlling skyrmion dynamics through DMI confinement.
• Opened new avenues for exploring diverse topological magnetic skyrmionic structures and their applications.