Monte Carlo studies of skyrmion stabilization under geometric confinement and uniaxial strain

Abstract

Geometric confinement (GC) of skyrmions in nanodomains plays a crucial role in skyrmion stabilization. This confinement effect decreases the magnetic field necessary for skyrmion formation and is closely related to the applied mechanical stresses. However, the mechanism of GC is unclear and remains controversial. Here, we numerically study the effect of GC on skyrmion stabilization and find that zero Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) coupling constants imposed on the boundary surfaces of small thin plates cause confinement effects, stabilizing skyrmions in the low-field region. Moreover, the confined skyrmions are further stabilized by tensile strains parallel to the plate, and the skyrmion phase extends to the low-temperature region. This stabilization occurs due to the bulk anisotropic DMI coupling constant caused by lattice deformations. Our simulation data are qualitatively consistent with reported experimental data on skyrmion stabilization induced by tensile strains applied to a thin plate of the chiral magnet Cu2OSeO3.