Observation of Robust Néel Skyrmions in Metallic PtMnGa

Srivastava AK, Devi P, Sharma AK, Ma T, Deniz H, Meyerheim HL, Felser C, Parkin SSP (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Advanced Materials Wiley

Book Volume: 32

Article Number: 1904327

Journal Issue: 7

DOI: 10.1002/adma.201904327

Abstract

Over the past decade the family of chiral noncollinear spin textures has continued to expand with the observation in metallic compounds of Bloch-like skyrmions in several B20 compounds, and antiskyrmions in a tetragonal inverse Heusler. Néel like skyrmions in bulk crystals with broken inversion symmetry have recently been seen in two distinct nonmetallic compounds, GaV4S8 and VOSe2O5 at low temperatures (below ≈13 K) only. Here, the first observation of bulk Néel skyrmions in a metallic compound PtMnGa and, moreover, at high temperatures up to ≈220 K is reported. Lorentz transmission electron microscopy reveals the chiral Néel character of the skyrmions. A strong variation is reported of the size of the skyrmions on the thickness of the lamella in which they are confined, varying by a factor of 7 as the thickness is varied from ≈90 nm to ≈4 µm. Moreover, the skyrmions are highly robust to in-plane magnetic fields and can be stabilized in a zero magnetic field using suitable field-cooling protocols over a very broad temperature range to as low as 5 K. These properties, together with the possibility of manipulating skyrmions in metallic PtMnGa via current induced spin–orbit torques, make them extremely exciting for future spintronic applications.

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik (MSP) / Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics DE Germany (DE) Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe (MPI CPfS) / Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Srivastava, A.K., Devi, P., Sharma, A.K., Ma, T., Deniz, H., Meyerheim, H.L.,... Parkin, S.S.P. (2020). Observation of Robust Néel Skyrmions in Metallic PtMnGa. Advanced Materials, 32(7). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201904327

MLA:

Srivastava, Abhay K., et al. "Observation of Robust Néel Skyrmions in Metallic PtMnGa." Advanced Materials 32.7 (2020).

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