Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction Research Articles

Microwave spin-pumping from an antiferromagnet FeBO3

Canted antiferromagnets offer great potential in fundamental research and for use in applications due to their unique properties. The presence of the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) leads to the existence of a weak ferromagnetic moment at room temperature. We study both theoretically and experimentally microwave spin pumping by a quasi-ferromagnetic mode from a canted easy plane antiferromagnet with weak ferromagnetism FeBO3. The conversion of a microwave signal into a constant voltage is realized using the inverse spin Hall effect in an iron borate/heavy metal heterostructure. We use an additional bias magnetic field to selectively tune the resonance frequency of such a microwave detector over a wide range up to 43.5 GHz with a potential sensitivity near 2.5 µV W−1. We confirm the pure spin current nature by changing the polarity of the detected via inverse spin Hall effect voltage by switching the direction of the bias magnetic field. We believe that our results will be useful for the development of highly tunable, portable and sensitive microwave antiferromagnet-based functional devices.

Resilience of quantum spin fluctuations against Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.

In low-dimensional systems, the lack of structural inversion symmetry combined with the spin-orbit coupling gives rise to an anisotropic antisymmetric superexchange known as the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Various features have been reported due to the presence of DMIs in quantum systems. We here study the one-dimensional spin-1/2 transverse field XY chains with a DMI at zero temperature. Our focus is on the quantum fluctuations of the spins measured by the spin squeezing and the entanglement entropy. We find that these fluctuations are resistant to the effect of the DMI in the system. This resistance will fail as soon as the system is placed in the chiral phase where its state behaves as a squeezed state, suggesting the merit of the chiral phase to be used for quantum metrology. Remarkably, we prove that the central charge vanishes on the critical lines between gapless chiral and ferromagnetic/paramagnetic phases where there is no critical scaling versus the system size for the spin squeezing parameter. Our phenomenal results provide a further understanding of the effects of the DMIs in the many-body quantum systems which may be testable in experiments.

Influence of ferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling on current-induced magnetization switching and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in Co/Pt/Co multilayer system.

This paper investigates the relationship among interlayer exchange coupling (IEC), Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), and multilevel magnetization switching within a Co/Pt/Co heterostructure, where varying Pt thicknesses enable control over the coupling strength. Employing Brillouin Light Scattering to quantify the effective DMI, we explore its potential role in magnetization dynamics and multilevel magnetization switching. Experimental findings show four distinct resistance states under an external magnetic field and spin Hall effect related spin current. We explain this phenomenon based on the asymmetry between Pt/Co and Co/Pt interfaces and the interlayer coupling, which, in turn, influences the DMI and subsequently impacts the magnetization dynamics. Numerical simulations, including macrospin, 1D domain wall, and simple spin wave models, further support the experimental observations of multilevel switching and help uncover the underlying mechanisms. Our proposed explanation, supported by magnetic domain observation using polar-magnetooptical Kerr microscopy, offers insights into both the spatial distribution of magnetization and its dynamics for different IECs, thereby shedding light on its interplay with DMI, which may lead to potential applications in storage devices.

Skyrmionium dynamics on a racetrack in the presence of a magnetic defect

Exotic topological textures known as skyrmioniums can stabilize in different types of ferromagnetic nanostructures. They possess a topological charge of Q=0 and can move in straight lines unaffected by the skyrmion Hall effect. In this work, using micromagnetic simulations, we study the behavior of a skyrmionium when a polarized spin current transports it along a racetrack in the presence of a semicircular magnetic defect with different Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction values. As a first step, we obtained the perpendicular uniaxial anisotropy (Kz) and the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya constants (Dint) for which it is possible to form a skyrmionium in the racetrack. Our results show that the higher the Kz value, the higher the Dint values necessary to stabilize the skyrmionium. Furthermore, interaction energies between the skyrmionium and the semicircular defect are presented. The results show that the interaction energy can be attractive or repulsive, depending on the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya defect interaction constant (Dintdef). Finally, we conclude that using these types of defects and a spin-polarized current, the motion of the skyrmionium can be either modified in a specific way or even blocked.

Characterizing an effective magnetic field during asymmetric creep motion of Dzyaloshinskii domain walls

Understanding the role of Landau Lifshitz Gilbert dynamics in describing magnetic domain wall (DW) motion in the creep regime is complicated by the presence of static pinning, but has regained interest due to recently observed directional growth in thin films with significant interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction. Here, we delve into this directional domain growth behaviour in Pt/Co/Ni-based multi-layers under the influence of combined longitudinal and perpendicular magnetic fields via magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy. Observations, including the onset field, μ0Honset , where the growth direction reverses by 180 degrees, align with the transient steady-state model predictions. By systematically varying the applied perpendicular magnetic field, we estimate the strength of an effective perpendicular field that acts on the DW during creep movement, which was expectedly found to be much smaller than the applied external field itself. This work further adds to the complexity of asymmetric domain expansion in the creep regime, but also highlights the range of magnetic information that can be extracted from careful analysis of this behavior.

The Impact of Local Strain Fields in Noncollinear Antiferromagnetic Films.

Antiferromagnets hosting structural or magnetic order that breaks time reversal symmetry are of increasing interest for "beyond von Neumann" computing applications because the topology of their band structure allows for intrinsic physical properties, exploitable in integrated memory and logic function. One such group are the noncollinear antiferromagnets. Essential for domain manipulation is the existence of small net moments found routinely when the material is synthesized in thin film form and attributed to symmetry breaking caused by spin canting, either from the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction or from strain. Although the spin arrangement of these materials makes them highly sensitive to strain, there is little understanding about the influence of local strain fields caused by lattice defects on global properties, such as magnetization and anomalous Hall effect. This premise is investigated by examining noncollinear antiferromagnetic films that are either highly lattice mismatched or closely matched to their substrate. In either case, edge dislocation networks are generated and for the former case, these extend throughout the entire film thickness, creating large local strain fields. These strain fields allow for finite intrinsic magnetization in seemingly structurally relaxed films and influence the antiferromagnetic domain state and the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect.

Oscillatory behavior of interlayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction by spacer thickness variation

Oscillatory behavior of interlayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction by spacer thickness variation

Alloying Driven Antiferromagnetic Skyrmions on NiPS3 Monolayer: A First-Principles Calculation.

Topological magnetic states are promising information carriers for ultrahigh-density and high-efficiency magnetic storage. Recent advances in two-dimensional (2D) magnets provide powerful platforms for stabilizing various nanometer-size topological spin textures within a wide range of magnetic field and temperature. However, non-centrosymmetric 2D magnets with broken inversion symmetry are scarce in nature, making direct observations of the chiral spin structure difficult, especially for antiferromagnetic (AFM) skyrmions. In this work, it is theoretically predicted that intrinsic AFM skyrmions can be easily triggered in XY-type honeycomb magnet NiPS3 monolayer by alloying of Cr atoms, due to the presence of a sizable Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. More interestingly, the diameter of the AFM skyrmions in Ni3/4Cr1/4PS3 decreases from 12 to 4.4nm as the external magnetic field increases and the skyrmion phases remain stable up to an external magnetic field of 4 T. These results highlight an effective strategy to generate and modulate the topological spin texture in 2D magnets by alloying with magnetic element.

Magnetic exchange interactions at the proximity of a superconductor

Interfacing magnetism with superconductivity gives rise to a wonderful playground for intertwining key degrees of freedom: Cooper pairs, spin, charge, and spin–orbit interaction, from which emerge a wealth of exciting phenomena, fundamental in the nascent field of superconducting spinorbitronics and topological quantum technologies. Magnetic exchange interactions (MEIs), being isotropic or chiral such as the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions, are vital in establishing the magnetic behavior at these interfaces as well as in dictating not only complex transport phenomena, but also the manifestation of topologically trivial or non-trivial objects. Here, we propose a methodology enabling the extraction of the tensor of MEI from electronic structure simulations accounting for superconductivity. We apply our scheme to the case of a Mn layer deposited on Nb(110) surface and explore proximity-induced impact on the MEI. The latter are weakly modified by a realistic electron-phonon coupling. However, tuning the superconducting order parameter, we unveil potential change of the magnetic order accompanied with chirality switching, as induced by the interplay of spin-orbit interaction and Cooper pairing. Owing to its simple formulation, our methodology can be readily implemented in state-of-the-art frameworks capable of tackling superconductivity and magnetism. We thus foresee implications in the simulations and prediction of topological superconducting bits as well as of cryogenic superconducting hybrid devices involving magnetic units.

Correlations production dynamics and dense coding by the dipolar interaction system with the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction

Correlations production dynamics and dense coding by the dipolar interaction system with the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction

A spin wave driven skyrmion-based diode on a T-shaped nanotrack.

The propagation of spin waves is one of the promising ways to design nanoscale spintronic devices. The spin waves can interact with the magnetic skyrmion, a particle-like object that is topologically stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in thin film heterostructures. In this work, a spin wave-driven skyrmion-based diode is proposed by employing a T-shaped ferromagnetic nanotrack. The one-way motion of the skyrmion is achieved by exploiting the mid-arm at the center of the nanotrack. This prevents the reverse motion of the skyrmion owing to the skyrmion Hall effect (SkHE) and the absence of a repulsive force from the far edge in the mid-arm region. In order to facilitate the diode functionality of the spin wave-driven skyrmion, the amplitude and frequency of the excitation field should be considered in the ranges 0.07 T ≤ H0 ≤ 0.4 T and 60 GHz ≤ f ≤ 80 GHz, respectively. The micromagnetic interaction energy between the edges and the spin wave-driven skyrmion creates a potential gradient that induces the force which is responsible for the longitudinal motion of the skyrmion. The suggested spin wave driven diode exhibits a processing speed on the order of 100 m s-1 at 60 GHz frequency and 0.4 T amplitude. Hence, this device paves the way for the development of complete non-charge based magnetic devices for various spintronic applications.

Distinct skyrmion phases at room temperature in two-dimensional ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2

Distinct skyrmion phases at room temperature hosted by one material offer additional degree of freedom for the design of topology-based compact and energetically-efficient spintronic devices. The field has been extended to low-dimensional magnets with the discovery of magnetism in two-dimensional van der Waals magnets. However, creating multiple skyrmion phases in 2D magnets, especially above room temperature, remains a major challenge. Here, we report the experimental observation of mixed-type skyrmions, exhibiting both Bloch and hybrid characteristics, in a room-temperature ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2. Analysis of the magnetic intensities under varied imaging conditions coupled with complementary simulations reveal that spontaneous Bloch skyrmions exist as the magnetic ground state with the coexistence of hybrid stripes domain, on account of the interplay between the dipolar interaction and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Moreover, hybrid skyrmions are created and their coexisting phases with Bloch skyrmions exhibit considerably high thermostability, enduring up to 328 K. The findings open perspectives for 2D spintronic devices incorporating distinct skyrmion phases at room temperature.

Simultaneous achievement of energy-efficient operation and high thermal stability of magnetic devices by enhancement of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and magnetic anisotropy energy

Simultaneous achievement of energy-efficient operation and high thermal stability of magnetic devices by enhancement of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and magnetic anisotropy energy

Harnessing Interlayer Magnetic Coupling for Efficient, Field‐Free Current‐Induced Magnetization Switching in a Magnetic Insulator

Owing to the unique features of low Gilbert damping, long spin‐diffusion lengths, and zero Ohmic losses, magnetic insulators are promising candidate materials for next‐generation spintronic applications. However, due to the localized magnetic moments and the complex metal–oxide interface between magnetic insulators and heavy metals, spin‐functional Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions or spin Hall and Edelstein effects are weak, which diminishes the performance of these typical building blocks for spintronic devices. Herein, the exchange coupling between metallic and insulating magnets is exploited for efficient electrical manipulation of heavy metal/magnetic insulator heterostructures. By inserting a thin Co layer, the spin‐orbit torque efficiency is enhanced by more than 20 times, which significantly reduces the switching current density. Moreover, field‐free current‐induced magnetization switching caused by a symmetry‐breaking non‐collinear magnetic texture is demonstrated. This work launches magnetic insulators as an alternative platform for low‐power spintronic devices.

Elliptical spin textures in two-dimensional semimetals with spatially anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

Elliptical spin textures in two-dimensional semimetals with spatially anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

Efficient generation and deterministic annihilation of a single skyrmion via pure localized heating

A method for achieving rapid generation and annihilation of skyrmions is to apply local heating. However, the mechanism underlying heating-induced skyrmion formation is poorly understood, and achieving deterministic thermal excitation remains a major challenge. In this study, we utilized micromagnetic simulations to generate and annihilate individual skyrmions in a two-dimensional homogeneous ferromagnetic film with Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions using a localized heating method without the assistance of an external magnetic field. By introducing pinning into the uniformly magnetized ferromagnetic background, the energy difference between the initial state and the skyrmion state is reduced, and the efficiency of generating skyrmions through local heating is improved. Additionally, deterministic annihilation of skyrmions can be achieved by exploiting the peculiarity that the energy of the skyrmion state is greater than that of the ground state. Based on this work, a practical application of skyrmions as a new type of information storage unit is proposed using a purely thermal approach.

Asymmetric magnetization switching and programmable complete Boolean logic enabled by long-range intralayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

After decades of efforts, some fundamental physics for electrical switching of magnetization is still missing. Here, we report the discovery of the long-range intralayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) effect, which is the chiral coupling of orthogonal magnetic domains within the same magnetic layer via the mediation of an adjacent heavy metal layer. The effective magnetic field of the long-range intralayer DMI on the perpendicular magnetization is out-of-plane and varies with the interfacial DMI constant, the applied in-plane magnetic fields, and the magnetic anisotropy distribution. Striking consequences of the effect include asymmetric current/field switching of perpendicular magnetization, hysteresis loop shift of perpendicular magnetization in the absence of in-plane direct current, and sharp in-plane magnetic field switching of perpendicular magnetization. Utilizing the intralayer DMI, we demonstrate programable, complete Boolean logic operations within a single spin-orbit torque device. These results will stimulate investigation of the long-range intralayer DMI effect in a variety of spintronic devices.

Skyrmion lattice in centrosymmetric magnets with local Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction

It is common for the local inversion symmetry to break in crystals, even though the whole crystal has global inversion symmetry. This local inversion symmetry breaking allows for a local Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interaction (DMI) in magnetic crystals. Here we show that the local DMI can stabilize a skyrmion as a metastable excitation or as a skyrmion crystal in equilibrium. We consider the crystal structure with layered structure as an example, where local inversion is violated in each layer but a global inversion center exists in the middle of the two layers. These skyrmions come in pairs that are related by inversion symmetry. The two skyrmions with opposite helicity in a pair form a bound state. We study the properties of a skyrmion pair in the ferromagnetic background and determine the equilibrium phase diagram, where a robust lattice of skyrmion pairs is stabilized. Our results point to a new direction to search for the skyrmion lattice in centrosymmetric magnets.

Enhanced interlayer Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and field-free switching in magnetic trilayers with orthogonal magnetization

The indirect interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) between two magnetic layers holds significant importance in the field of spintronics and has been widely used in the construction of synthetic antiferromagnets. Recently, the interlayer Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI), antisymmetric counterpart of IEC, has been discovered in magnetic trilayers with a heavy-metal spacer. In this study, we present an investigation on antisymmetric and symmetric counterparts of IEC in D022-Mn3Ga/Pt/Co trilayers with orthogonal magnetization. Due to the strong interlayer DMI across the entire multilayer, the symmetry of magnetic reversal process was broken, leading to an enhanced chiral exchange-bias field of 42.7 Oe in the Co layer. In addition, field-free spin–orbit torque (SOT) switching of D022-Mn3Ga layer has been realized in Hall bar devices. In-plane field dependence analysis of the SOT switching behavior reveals that the symmetric counterpart of IEC exhibits antiferromagnetic characteristics within the spacer thickness range of 2 nm ≤ tPt ≤5 nm. Moreover, the magnitude of both antisymmetric and symmetric counterparts of IEC exhibits an exponential decreasing trend with increasing tPt. These findings hold significant implications for the design and manipulation of three-dimensional chiral spin textures in the future spintronic devices.

Unveiling the influence of fixed layer polarization on skyrmion nucleation and dynamics in circular geometry

Chiral magnetic skyrmion spin textures promise to be the next generation of energy-efficient computing. An effective way of skyrmion creation is essential to use as an information carrier. We report the creation of a skyrmion in a circular spin valve nanostructure using spin-polarized currents. This research investigates skyrmion nucleation under perpendicular and vortex fixed layer polarizations. The impact of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), magnetic anisotropy, and saturation magnetization on the nucleation process has been studied for the perpendicular case. Depending on fixed layer polarization, we observed a trade-off between current density and pulse width for skyrmion nucleation. Vortex polarization enables faster nucleation at higher currents, while perpendicular polarization facilitates lower current thresholds at the expense of longer pulses. Further skyrmion dynamics have been explored under the sinusoidal magnetic fields.