Current induced skyrmion nucleation at zero field

Abstract

For their applications in spintronics, skyrmions need to be controlled one by one, and therefore appear as excitations over a uniform ground state. This is why in most demonstrations, the application of an external field is required. In this study, we show by fine-tuning the micromagnetic parameters, through their control by the ferromagnetic layer thickness, multilayers can be optimized to host zero field skyrmion excitations. We study Pt/Co/Au based heterostructures with varying Co thickness t. Close to the spin reorientation transition (t = 1.6 nm), the domain wall energy vanishes and the ground state is a stripe phase. To favor the uniform state, t is reduced to increase the magnetic anisotropy, until samples show a 100% remanence. Below 1.45 nm, skyrmions could be obtained and stabilized during the magnetization reversal process, and remain stable at zero field. This bistable situation offers a perfect playground to study current-induced nucleation in zero field, which we study in the vicinity of a point contact. Starting from a uniform state, current pulses lead to the formation of magnetic textures. However, to avoid the formation of elongated structures, similar to stripes, Co thickness needs to be further reduced. At 1.2 nm, the magnetic anisotropy is sufficiently large to cut elongated structures into well-defined skyrmions, which could be obtained with good reproducibility. Their topological nature is proven through the observation of the skyrmion Hall effect: depending on the orientation of the initial state, skyrmions are deflected in one or the other directions. Velocities of about 50 m/s induced by SOT, using a current density of 3.7 x 1012 A/m2 in 1µm wide tracks were also observed. This opens an important perspective towards skyrmionic devices at zero field, in particular concerning stacks that are not sensitive to external fields such as ferrimagnets and antiferromagnets.Figure: Zero field MFM images of 3 µm wide magnetic nanotracks, after successive application of 3.7 x 1012 A/m2, 3 ns long current pulses starting from a saturated track. In the first serie (a-c) the sample is initially magnetized downward, in the second one (d-f), it is magnetized upward, evidencing the gyrotropic deflection.  Figure: Zero field MFM images of 3 µm wide magnetic nanotracks, after successive application of 3.7 x 1012 A/m2, 3 ns long current pulses starting from a saturated track. In the first serie (a-c) the sample is initially magnetized downward, in the second one (d-f), it is magnetized upward, evidencing the gyrotropic deflection.