Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya antisymmetric exchange interaction (DMI) stabilises topological spin textures with promising future spintronics applications. According to crystal symmetry, the DMI can be categorized as four different types that favour different chiral textures. Unlike the other three extensively-investigated types, out-of-plane DMI, as the last type that favours in-plane chirality, remained missing so far. Here we apply point-group-dependent DMI matrix analysis to show that out-of-plane DMI exists under reduced crystal symmetry. Through strain and structure engineering, we show how Cs symmetry is realized in ultrathin magnets and observe the out-of-plane DMI stabilised in-plane chirality using spin-polarized electron microscopy. Our results show that extremely low out-of-plane DMI strengths at µeV/atom are sufficient to stabilise topological spin textures, including merons and bimerons. We also demonstrate field-induced reversible control of the in-plane chirality and merons. Our findings open up untapped paths on topological magnetic textures and their potential applications. Antisymmetric exchange, or the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, has been a topic intense study in recent years, due to its critical role in stabilizing topological spin-textures such as Skyrmions. Here, using a combination of point group analysis and spin polarized electron microscopy Niu et al demonstrate the existence of an out-of-plane Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, which was hitherto unobserved.
Source: Nature Communications
Institutions: Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Anhui University, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Molecular Foundry, Fudan University, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Georgetown University, Kyung Hee University
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,790
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Research Foundation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Research Foundation of Korea, Office of Science, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Division of Materials Research, Basic Energy Sciences
Awards: G1286236842, G1286251239, G133373614, G1863003419, G2761406265, G2907722334, G30714459, G3083819904, TRR 227: Ultraschnelle Spindynamik, G3685081974, G4065598797, G419881185, G42916606, G4501827968, 2D Magnetische Speicher: Skalierbares Wachstum und hybrider elektrischer Betrieb, Chiral Spin Textures in Magnetic Nanostructures, G498139845, G5281303874, G5559413431, G5781605532, G6089631991, G6181176832, G650090426, G6661844735, G6872458415, G704498496, G8654659064, G8950826265, G8975836401, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W4404668679