Creation of a thermally assisted skyrmion lattice in Pt/Co/Ta multilayer films

Senfu Zhang, Junwei Zhang, Yan Wen, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Xixiang Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

Néel-type magnetic skyrmions in multilayer films have recently attracted significant attention due to their stability at room temperature and low threshold for current-driven motion, offering the potential for the construction of high-speed and high-density spintronic devices. However, to date, research studies reported in the literature have rarely examined the effect of temperature on the formation and behavior of Néel-type skyrmions. Here, we investigate the effect of the temperature on the creation of a skyrmion lattice in [Pt/Co/Ta]10 multilayer samples, using in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. By imaging the magnetization reversal process from a positive (negative) to a negative (positive) saturation, we find that the skyrmions can be created by nucleation from a ferromagnetic state and by breaking the labyrinth domains under certain external fields. More importantly, we demonstrate that the density of skyrmions in the multilayers not only depend on the external magnetic field, but also depend on the temperature and the thermal history of the materials.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)192403
JournalApplied Physics Letters
Volume113
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 6 2018

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Creation of a thermally assisted skyrmion lattice in Pt/Co/Ta multilayer films'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this