Abstract
We predict the occurrence of metastable skyrmionic spin structures such as antiskyrmions and higher-order skyrmions in ultra-thin transition-metal films at surfaces using Monte Carlo simulations based on a spin Hamiltonian parametrized from density functional theory calculations. We show that such spin structures will appear with a similar contrast in spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy images. Both skyrmions and antiskyrmions display a circular shape for out-of-plane magnetized tips and a two-lobe butterfly contrast for in-plane tips. An unambiguous distinction can be achieved by rotating the tip magnetization direction without requiring the information of all components of the magnetization.
Highlights
Magnetic skyrmions were recently observed via neutron diffraction in bulk chiral magnets such as MnSi [1] and in the multiferroic material Cu2OSeO3 [2]
In most experimental setups it is not possible to continuously rotate the tip magnetization direction and conclusions have to be drawn from spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) experiments performed with only one or two tip magnetization directions
Such measurements only allow a partial determination of the spin structure [16, 19, 20]. It is essential (i) to know if the skyrmion ground states and some metastable states can be differentiated via simple SP-STM experiments and (ii) to establish a clear proposal in order to discriminate between the different possible chiral spin structures via SP-STM
Summary
We predict the occurrence of metastable skyrmionic spin structures such as antiskyrmions and licence. Higher-order skyrmions in ultra-thin transition-metal films at surfaces using Monte Carlo simulations. Any further distribution of this work must maintain based on a spin Hamiltonian parametrized from density functional theory calculations. We show that attribution to the such spin structures will appear with a similar contrast in spin-polarized scanning tunneling author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation microscopy images. Both skyrmions and antiskyrmions display a circular shape for out-of-plane and DOI. Magnetized tips and a two-lobe butterfly contrast for in-plane tips. An unambiguous distinction can be achieved by rotating the tip magnetization direction without requiring the information of all components of the magnetization
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