Strain-controlled switching of magnetic skyrmioniums in ultrathin nanodisks

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions and skyrmioniums have garnered significant attention due to their distinctive topologically nontrivial spin structures. Gaining a deep understanding of the magnetization dynamics of these structures and their interconversion processes is essential for fully leveraging their potential in magnetic storage technology. Here, the dynamics of strain-controlled generation and annihilation of skyrmions and skyrmioniums are investigated using phase field simulation methods. It is discovered that tensile strain can induce the transformation of a single domain into skyrmions and skyrmioniums, which can still exist stably after the strain is released. Notably, skyrmioniums demonstrate robust stability within a specific strain window of −0.2% to 0.5%. Beyond this, escalating the compressive strain magnitude induces a phase transition from skyrmioniums to skyrmions, culminating in a direct collapse to a single-domain state at a critical compressive strain of −0.8%. This study reveals that strain can effectively control a variety of topological magnetic domain structures and achieve their interconversion, providing guidance for the design of low-power, nonvolatile, multi-state spin storage devices.