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Ultrasensitive Sub-monolayer Palladium Induced Chirality Switching and Topological Evolution of Skyrmions
- Source :
- Nano Letters, 22, 6678-6684 (2022)
- Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- Chiral spin textures are fundamentally interesting, with promise for device applications. Stabilizing chirality is conventionally achieved by introducing Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in asymmetric multilayers where the thickness of each layer is at least a few monolayers. Here we report an ultrasensitive chirality switching in (Ni/Co)n multilayer induced by capping with only 0.22 monolayer of Pd. Using spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy, we monitor the gradual evolution of domain walls from left-handed to right-handed Neel walls and quantify the DMI induced by the Pd capping layer. We also observe the chiral evolution of a skyrmion during the DMI switching, where no significant topological protection is found as the skyrmion winding number varies. This corresponds to a minimum energy cost of < 1 attojoule during the skyrmion chirality switching. Our results demonstrate the detailed chirality evolution within skyrmions during the DMI sign switching, which is relevant to practical applications of skyrmionic devices.<br />Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Journal :
- Nano Letters, 22, 6678-6684 (2022)
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.2206.12069
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c02043