Anatomy of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction at Co/Pt Interfaces

Unusual Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction in Graphene/Fe3GeTe2 Van der Waals Heterostructure

Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is shown to induce a topologically protected chiral spin texture in magnetic/nonmagnetic heterostructures. In the context of van der Waals spintronic devices, graphene emerges as an excellent candidate material. However, due to its negligible spin-orbit interaction, inducing DMI to stabilize topological spins when coupled to 3d-ferromagnets remains challenging. Here, it is demonstrated that, despite these challenges, a sizeable Rashba-type spin splitting followed by significant DMI is induced in graphene/Fe3GeTe2. This is made possible due to an interfacial electric field driven by charge asymmetry together with the broken inversion symmetry of the heterostructure. These findings reveal that the enhanced DMI energy parameter, resulting from a large effective electron mass in Fe3GeTe2, remarkably contributes to stabilizing non-collinear spins below the Curie temperature, overcoming the magnetic anisotropy energy. These results are supported by the topological Hall effect, which coexists with the non-trivial breakdown of Fermi liquid behavior, confirming the interplay between spins and non-trivial topology. This work paves the way toward the design and control of interface-driven skyrmion-based devices.

Domain wall magnetic tunnel junction-based artificial synapses and neurons for all-spin neuromorphic hardware

We report a breakthrough in the hardware implementation of energy-efficient all-spin synapse and neuron devices for highly scalable integrated neuromorphic circuits. Our work demonstrates the successful execution of all-spin synapse and activation function generator using domain wall-magnetic tunnel junctions. By harnessing the synergistic effects of spin-orbit torque and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in selectively etched spin-orbit coupling layers, we achieve a programmable multi-state synaptic device with high reliability. Our first-principles calculations confirm that the reduced atomic distance between 5d and 3d atoms enhances Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, leading to stable domain wall pinning. Our experimental results, supported by visualizing energy landscapes and theoretical simulations, validate the proposed mechanism. Furthermore, we demonstrate a spin-neuron with a sigmoidal activation function, enabling high operation frequency up to 20 MHz and low energy consumption of 508 fJ/operation. A neuron circuit design with a compact sigmoidal cell area and low power consumption is also presented, along with corroborated experimental implementation. Our findings highlight the great potential of domain wall-magnetic tunnel junctions in the development of all-spin neuromorphic computing hardware, offering exciting possibilities for energy-efficient and scalable neural network architectures.

Above-room-temperature chiral skyrmion lattice and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in a van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3-xGaTe2

Skyrmions in existing 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials have primarily been limited to cryogenic temperatures, and the underlying physical mechanism of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), a crucial ingredient for stabilizing chiral skyrmions, remains inadequately explored. Here, we report the observation of Néel-type skyrmions in a vdW ferromagnet Fe3-xGaTe2 above room temperature. Contrary to previous assumptions of centrosymmetry in Fe3-xGaTe2, the atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals that the off-centered FeΙΙ atoms break the spatial inversion symmetry, rendering it a polar metal. First-principles calculations further elucidate that the DMI primarily stems from the Te sublayers through the Fert-Lévy mechanism. Remarkably, the chiral skyrmion lattice in Fe3-xGaTe2 can persist up to 330 K at zero magnetic field, demonstrating superior thermal stability compared to other known skyrmion vdW magnets. This work provides valuable insights into skyrmionics and presents promising prospects for 2D material-based skyrmion devices operating beyond room temperature.

Anatomy of Hidden Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interactions and Topological Spin Textures in Centrosymmetric Crystals

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is understood to be forbidden by the symmetry of centrosymmetric systems, thus restricting the candidate types for investigating many correlated physical phenomena. Here, we report the hidden DMI existing in centrosymmetric magnets driven by the local inversion symmetry breaking of specific spin sublattices. The opposite DMI spatially localized on the inverse spin sublattice favors the separated spin spiral with opposite chirality. Furthermore, we elucidate that hidden DMI widely exists in many potential candidates, from the first-principles calculations on the mature crystal database. Interestingly, novel topological spin configurations, such as the anti-chirality-locked merons and antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic meron chains, are stabilized as a consequence of hidden DMI. Our understanding enables the effective control of DMI by symmetry operations at the atomic level and enlarges the range of currently useful magnets for topological magnetism.

Electron-Assisted Generation and Straight Movement of Skyrmion Bubble in Kagome TbMn6Sn6

Topological magnetic textures are promising candidates as binary data units for the next-generation memory device. The precise generation and convenient control of nontrivial spin topology at zero field near room temperature endows the critical advantages in skyrmionic devices but is not simultaneously integrated into one material. Here, in the Kagome plane of quantum TbMn6Sn6, the expedient generation of the skyrmion bubbles in versatile forms of lattice, chain, and isolated one by converging the electron beam, where the electron intensity gradient contributes to the dynamic generation from local anisotropy variation near spin reorientation transition (SRT) is reported. Encouragingly, by utilizing the dynamic shift of the SRT domain interface, the straight movement is actualized with the skyrmion bubble slave to the SRT domain interface forming an elastic composite object, avoiding the usual deflection from the skyrmion Hall effect. The critical contribution of the SRT domain interface via conveniently electron-assisted heating is further theoretically validated in micromagnetic simulation, highlighting the compatible application possibility in advanced devices.

Intrinsic edge states and strain-tunable spin textures in the Janus 1T-VTeCl monolayer

Using first-principles calculations and micro-magnetic simulations, we investigate the electronic structures, the effect of biaxial strain on the topological characteristics, magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE), Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and spin textures in the Janus 1T phase VTeCl (1T-VTeCl) monolayer. Our results show that 1T-VTeCl has an intrinsic edge state, and a topological phase transition with a sizeable band gap is achieved by applying biaxial strain. Interestingly, the MAE can be switched from the in-plane to the off-plane with a compressive strain of -5%. Microscopically, the origin of MAE is mainly associated with the large spin-orbit coupling (SOC) from the heavy nonmagnetic Te atoms rather than that from the V atoms. Furthermore, the induced DMI (0.09 meV) can occur stabilizing magnetic merons without applying temperatures and magnetic fields. Then, the skyrmions, frustrated antiferromagnetism and vortex are induced after applying a suitable compressive strain. Our study provides compelling evidence that the 1T-VTeCl monolayer with topological properties holds great potential for application in spintronic devices, as well as information storage devices based on different magnetic phases achievable through strain engineering.

Regulation of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in ferromagnetic multilayers

Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (i-DMI) exists in the film materials with inversion symmetry breaking, which can stabilize a series of nonlinear spin structures and control their chirality, such as Néel-type domain wall, magnetic skyrmion and spin spiral. In addition, the strength and chirality of i-DMI are directly related to the dynamic behavior of these nonlinear spin structures. Therefore, regulating the strength and chirality of i-DMI not only has an important scientific significance for enriching spintronics and topological physics, but also has a significant practical value for constructing a new generation of memorizer, logic gate, and brain-like devices with low-power. This review summarizes the research progress on the regulation of i-DMI in ferromagnetic films and provides some prospects for future research.

Room-temperature sub-100 nm Néel-type skyrmions in non-stoichiometric van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3-xGaTe2 with ultrafast laser writability

Realizing room-temperature magnetic skyrmions in two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnets offers unparalleled prospects for future spintronic applications. However, due to the intrinsic spin fluctuations that suppress atomic long-range magnetic order and the inherent inversion crystal symmetry that excludes the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, achieving room-temperature skyrmions in 2D magnets remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we target room-temperature 2D magnet Fe3GaTe2 and unveil that the introduction of iron-deficient into this compound enables spatial inversion symmetry breaking, thus inducing a significant Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction that brings about room-temperature Néel-type skyrmions with unprecedentedly small size. To further enhance the practical applications of this finding, we employ a homemade in-situ optical Lorentz transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate ultrafast writing of skyrmions in Fe3-xGaTe2 using a single femtosecond laser pulse. Our results manifest the Fe3-xGaTe2 as a promising building block for realizing skyrmion-based magneto-optical functionalities.

Hidden Valley Polarization, Piezoelectricity, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interactions of Janus Vanadium Dichalcogenides

Due to the lack of inversion symmetry and the discovery of room-temperature ferromagnetism, two-dimensional semiconducting vanadium-based van der Waals transition-metal dichalcogenides (V-TMDs) are drawing attention for their possible application in spintronics and valleytronics. Here, we show the functional properties enriched by the broken inversion, out-of-plane mirror, and time-reversal symmetries of Janus H-VXY TMDs (X, Y = S, Se, Te). By first-principles calculations, we reveal the intrinsic xy easy-plane magnetism of the Janus vanadium-based TMD monolayers and systematically study their hidden valley polarization and giant magneto band structure. Their strong nearest-neighbor exchange strengths lead to near-room-temperature magnetic phase transitions. The Janus H-VXY system also exhibits piezoelectricity with nonzero e31 and e21. Interestingly, it is found that the right-handed Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction has nonzero in-plane components in our Janus system, with fluctuating magnitudes determined by competence between relaxed bond-angle and atomic index of ligands.

Local Control of a Single Nitrogen-Vacancy Center by Nanoscale Engineered Magnetic Domain Wall Motion

Effective control and readout of qubits form the technical foundation of next-generation, transformative quantum information sciences and technologies. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, an intrinsic three-level spin system, is naturally relevant in this context due to its excellent quantum coherence, high fidelity of operations, and remarkable functionality over a broad range of experimental conditions. It is an active contender for the development and implementation of cutting-edge quantum technologies. Here, we report magnetic domain wall motion driven local control and measurements of the NV spin properties. By engineering the local magnetic field environment of an NV center via nanoscale reconfigurable domain wall motion, we show that NV photoluminescence, spin level energies, and coherence time can be reliably controlled and correlated to the magneto-transport response of a magnetic device. Our results highlight the electrically tunable dipole interaction between NV centers and nanoscale magnetic structures, providing an attractive platform to realize interactive information transfer between spin qubits and nonvolatile magnetic memory in hybrid quantum spintronic systems.

Electrically programmable magnetic coupling in an Ising network exploiting solid-state ionic gating

Two-dimensional arrays of magnetically coupled nanomagnets provide a mesoscopic platform for exploring collective phenomena as well as realizing a broad range of spintronic devices. In particular, the magnetic coupling plays a critical role in determining the nature of the cooperative behavior and providing new functionalities in nanomagnet-based devices. Here, we create coupled Ising-like nanomagnets in which the coupling between adjacent nanomagnetic regions can be reversibly converted between parallel and antiparallel through solid-state ionic gating. This is achieved with the voltage-control of the magnetic anisotropy in a nanosized region where the symmetric exchange interaction favors parallel alignment and the antisymmetric exchange interaction, namely the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, favors antiparallel alignment of the nanomagnet magnetizations. Applying this concept to a two-dimensional lattice, we demonstrate a voltage-controlled phase transition in artificial spin ices. Furthermore, we achieve an addressable control of the individual couplings and realize an electrically programmable Ising network, which opens up new avenues to design nanomagnet-based logic devices and neuromorphic computers.

Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida-Type Interlayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction in Synthetic Magnets

Conduction electron spins interacting with magnetic impurity spins can mediate an interlayer exchange interaction, namely, the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction. This discovery opened the way to significant technological developments in the field of magnetic storage and spintronics. So far, the RKKY-type interlayer interaction has been found to construct symmetric coupling of magnetism; however, the asymmetric counterpart remains unexplored. Here we report unprecedented RKKY-type interlayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in synthetic magnets, exhibiting a damped oscillatory feature. This asymmetric interlayer interaction is found to be dramatically dependent on the intermediate coupling layer. By introducing the Fert-Lévy model to the trilayer system, we reveal that the in-plane inversion symmetry breaking plays a pivotal role for generating interlayer DMI and the RKKY oscillation is an intrinsic behavior in metallic multilayers. Our finding fills up the empty block for RKKY-type asymmetric interlayer exchange coupling in comparison to the well-known (symmetric) RKKY-type interlayer exchange coupling.

The Stack Optimization of Magnetic Heterojunction Structures for Next-Generation Spintronic Logic Applications

Magnetic heterojunction structures with a suppressed interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and a sustainable long-range interlayer exchange coupling are achieved with an ultrathin platinum insertion layer. The systematic inelastic light scattering spectroscopy measurements indicate that the insertion layer restores the symmetry of the system and, then, the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, which can prevent the identical magnetic domain wall motions, is obviously minimized. Nevertheless, the strong interlayer exchange coupling of the system is maintained. Consequently, synthetic ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange couplings as a function of the ruthenium layer thickness are observed as well. Therefore, these optimized magnetic multilayer stacks can avoid crucial issues, such as domain wall tilting and position problems, for next-generation spintronic logic applications. Moreover, the synthetic antiferromagnetic coupling can open a new path to develop a radically different NOT gate via current-induced magnetic domain wall motions and inversions.

Electronic properties, skyrmions and bimerons in Janus CrXY (X, Y = S, Se, Te, Cl, Br, I, and X ≠ Y) monolayers

Using first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate the electronic properties, chiral skyrmions and bimerons in two-dimensional (2D) Janus CrXY (X, Y = S, Se, Te, Cl, Br, I, and X ≠ Y) monolayers. We found that the categories of nonmagnetic atoms (X and Y in CrXY) determine whether CrXY is a ferromagnetic metal or a semiconductor. Unexpectedly, the CrBrS monolayer of these CrXY materials is a room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor with a Curie temperature of 303 K, and it possesses an off-plane magnetic anisotropy energy of 0.06 meV. Besides, a strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) of 3.10 meV is found in CrTeI and is mainly induced by the strong spin-orbit coupling of the nonmagnetic atoms Te(I) rather than that of the magnetic Cr atoms. Furthermore, using micromagnetic simulations, skyrmions can be stabilized in CrSeBr without external magnetic fields. More importantly, the bimerons in CrSeCl with in-plane magnetic anisotropy can be transformed into skyrmions or a ferromagnetic state by controlling the direction of external magnetic fields. Our work investigates fourteen kinds of Janus monolayers, serving as guidelines for materials research on DMI, skyrmions and bimerons.

Controllable Skyrmionic Phase Transition between Néel Skyrmions and Bloch Skyrmionic Bubbles in van der Waals Ferromagnet Fe3-δ GeTe2

The van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnet Fe3-δ GeTe2 has garnered significant research interest as a platform for skyrmionic spin configurations, that is, skyrmions and skyrmionic bubbles. However, despite extensive efforts, the origin of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in Fe3-δ GeTe2 remains elusive, making it challenging to acquire these skyrmionic phases in a controlled manner. In this study, it is demonstrated that the Fe content in Fe3-δ GeTe2 has a profound effect on the crystal structure, DMI, and skyrmionic phase. For the first time, a marked increase in Fe atom displacement with decreasing Fe content is observed, transforming the original centrosymmetric crystal structure into a non-centrosymmetric symmetry, leading to a considerable DMI. Additionally, by varying the Fe content and sample thickness, a controllable transition between Néel-type skyrmions and Bloch-type skyrmionic bubbles is achieved, governed by a delicate interplay between dipole-dipole interaction and the DMI. The findings offer novel insights into the variable skyrmionic phases in Fe3-δ GeTe2 and provide the impetus for developing vdW ferromagnet-based spintronic devices.

Ferroelectrically tunable magnetic skyrmions in two-dimensional multiferroics

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected entities that are promising for information storage and processing. Currently, an essential challenge for future advances of skyrmionic devices lies in achieving effective control of skyrmion properties. Here, through first-principles and Monte-Carlo simulations, we report the identification of nontrivial topological magnetism in two-dimensional multiferroics of Co2NF2. Because of ferroelectricity, monolayer Co2NF2 exhibits a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. This together with exchange interaction can stabilize magnetic skyrmions with the size of sub-10 nm under a moderate magnetic field. Importantly, arising from the magnetoelectric coupling effect, the chirality of magnetic skyrmions is ferroelectrically tunable, producing the four-fold degenerate skyrmions. When interfacing with monolayer MoSe2, the creation and annihilation of magnetic skyrmions, as well as phase transition between skyrmion and skyrmion lattice, can be realized in a ferroelectrically controllable fashion. A dimensionless parameter κ' is further proposed as the criterion for stabilizing magnetic skyrmions in such multiferroic lattices. Our work greatly enriches the two-dimensional skyrmionics and multiferroics research.

Stabilization and racetrack application of asymmetric Néel skyrmions in hybrid nanostructures

Magnetic skyrmions, topological quasiparticles, are small stable magnetic textures that possess intriguing properties and potential for data storage applications. Hybrid nanostructures comprised of skyrmions and soft magnetic material can offer additional advantages for developing skyrmion-based spintronic and magnonic devices. We show that a Néel-type skyrmion confined within a nanodot placed on top of a ferromagnetic in-plane magnetized stripe produces a unique and compelling platform for exploring the mutual coupling between magnetization textures. The skyrmion induces an imprint upon the stripe, which, in turn, asymmetrically squeezes the skyrmion in the dot, increasing their size and the range of skyrmion stability at small values of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, as well as introducing skyrmion bi-stability. Finally, by exploiting the properties of the skyrmion in a hybrid system, we demonstrate unlimited skyrmion transport along a racetrack, free of the skyrmion Hall effect.

Probing of three-dimensional spin textures in multilayers by field dependent X-ray resonant magnetic scattering

In multilayers of magnetic thin films with perpendicular anisotropy, domain walls can take on hybrid configurations in the vertical direction which minimize the domain wall energy, with Néel walls in the top or bottom layers and Bloch walls in some central layers. These types of textures are theoretically predicted, but their observation has remained challenging until recently, with only a few techniques capable of realizing a three dimensional characterization of their magnetization distribution. Here we perform a field dependent X-ray resonant magnetic scattering measurements on magnetic multilayers exploiting circular dichroism contrast to investigate such structures. Using a combination of micromagnetic and X-ray resonant magnetic scattering simulations along with our experimental results, we characterize the three-dimensional magnetic texture of domain walls, notably the thickness resolved characterization of the size and position of the Bloch part in hybrid walls. We also take a step in advancing the resonant scattering methodology by using measurements performed off the multilayer Bragg angle in order to calibrate the effective absorption of the X-rays, and permitting a quantitative evaluation of the out of plane (z) structure of our samples. Beyond hybrid domain walls, this approach can be used to characterize other periodic chiral structures such as skyrmions, antiskyrmions or even magnetic bobbers or hopfions, in both static and dynamic experiments.

Correlation of Interface Interdiffusion and Skyrmionic Phases

Magnetic skyrmions are prime candidates for the next generation of spintronic devices. Skyrmions and other topological magnetic structures are known to be stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) that occurs when the inversion symmetry is broken in thin films. Here, we show by first-principles calculations and atomistic spin dynamics simulations that metastable skyrmionic states can also be found in nominally symmetric multilayered systems. We demonstrate that this is correlated with the large enhancement of the DMI strength due to the presence of local defects. In particular, we find that metastable skyrmions can occur in Pd/Co/Pd multilayers without external magnetic fields and can be stable even near room temperature conditions. Our theoretical findings corroborate with magnetic force microscopy images and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements and highlight the possibility of tuning the intensity of DMI by using interdiffusion at thin film interfaces.

Evidence of Strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction at the Cobalt/Hexagonal Boron Nitride Interface

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) were measured on four series of Co films (1-2.2 nm thick) grown on Pt or Au and covered with h-BN or Cu. Clean h-BN/Co interfaces were obtained by exfoliating h-BN and transferring it onto the Co film in situ in the ultra-high-vacuum evaporation chamber. By comparing h-BN and Cu-covered samples, the DMI induced by the Co/h-BN interface was extracted and found to be comparable in strength to that of the Pt/Co interface, one of the largest known values. The strong observed DMI despite the weak spin-orbit interaction in h-BN supports a Rashba-like origin in agreement with recent theoretical results. Upon combination of it with Pt/Co in Pt/Co/h-BN heterostructures, even stronger PMA and DMI are found which stabilizes skyrmions at room temperature and a low magnetic field.

Systematic Control of Ferrimagnetic Skyrmions via Composition Modulation in Pt/Fe1-xTbx/Ta Multilayers

Magnetic skyrmions are topological spin textures that can be used as memory and logic components for advancing the next generation spintronics. In this regard, control of nanoscale skyrmions, including their sizes and densities, is of particular importance for enhancing the storage capacity of skyrmionic devices. Here, we propose a viable route for engineering ferrimagnetic skyrmions via tuning the magnetic properties of the involved ferrimagnets Fe_1-xTb_x. Via tuning the composition of Fe_1-xTb_x that alters the magnetic anisotropy and the saturation magnetization, the size of the ferrimagnetic skyrmion (d_s) and the average density (η_s) can be effectively tailored in [Pt/Fe_1-xTb_x/Ta]₁₀ multilayers. In particular, a stabilization of sub-50 nm skyrmions with a high density is demonstrated at room temperature. Our work provides an effective approach for designing ferrimagnetic skyrmions with the desired size and density, which could be useful for enabling high-density ferrimagnetic skyrmionics.

Strain-tunable skyrmions in two-dimensional monolayer Janus magnets

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), which only exists in noncentrosymmetric systems, plays an important role in the formation of exotic chiral magnetic states. However, the absence of the DMI occurs in most two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials due to their intrinsic inversion symmetry. Here, by using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that a significant DMI can be obtained in a series of Janus monolayers of dichalcogenides XSeTe (X = Nb, Re) in which the difference between Se and Te on the opposite sides of X breaks the inversion symmetry. Remarkably, the DMI amplitudes of NbSeTe (1.78 meV) and ReSeTe (4.82 meV) are larger than the experimental value of Co/graphene (0.16 meV), and NbSeTe and ReSeTe monolayers have a high Curie temperature of 1023 K and 689 K, respectively. Through the micromagnetic simulation of XSeTe (X= Nb, Re) simulations, we also find that the ReSeTe monolayer can performance for skyrmion states by applying an external magnetic field, and importantly, the skyrmion states can be regulated and controlled under external strain. The findings pave the way for device concepts using chiral magnetic structures in specially designed 2D ferromagnetic materials.

Combined piezoelectricity, valley splitting and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in Janus GdXY (X, Y = Cl, Br, I) magnetic semiconductors

Janus materials, as a family of multifunctional materials with broken mirror symmetry, have played a great role in piezoelectric, valley-related, and Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) applications. Using first-principles calculations, it is predicted that monolayer 2H-GdXY (X, Y = Cl, Br, I) will combine giant piezoelectricity, intrinsic valley splitting and a strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), resulting from the intrinsic electric polarization, spontaneous spin polarization and strong spin-orbit coupling. Opposite Berry curvatures and unequal Hall conductivities at the K- and K'-valleys of monolayer GdXY are promising for storing information through the anomalous valley Hall effect (AVHE). Through construction of the spin Hamiltonian and micromagnetic model, we obtained the primary magnetic parameters of monolayer GdXY as a function of the biaxial strain. Due to the dimensionless parameter κ having strong tunability, monolayer GdClBr is promising to host isolated skyrmions. The present results are expected to enable the application of Janus materials in piezoelectricity, spin- and valley-tronics and the formation of chiral magnetic structures.

Chirality coupling in topological magnetic textures with multiple magnetochiral parameters

Chiral effects originate from the lack of inversion symmetry within the lattice unit cell or sample's shape. Being mapped onto magnetic ordering, chirality enables topologically non-trivial textures with a given handedness. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a static 3D texture characterized by two magnetochiral parameters being magnetic helicity of the vortex and geometrical chirality of the core string itself in geometrically curved asymmetric permalloy cap with a size of 80 nm and a vortex ground state. We experimentally validate the nonlocal chiral symmetry breaking effect in this object, which leads to the geometric deformation of the vortex string into a helix with curvature 3 μm-1 and torsion 11 μm-1. The geometric chirality of the vortex string is determined by the magnetic helicity of the vortex texture, constituting coupling of two chiral parameters within the same texture. Beyond the vortex state, we anticipate that complex curvilinear objects hosting 3D magnetic textures like curved skyrmion tubes and hopfions can be characterized by multiple coupled magnetochiral parameters, that influence their statics and field- or current-driven dynamics for spin-orbitronics and magnonics.

Two-dimensional magnetic Janus monolayers and their van der Waals heterostructures: a review on recent progress

A magnetic Janus monolayer, a special type of material which has asymmetric arrangements of its surface at the nanoscale, has been shown to present rather exotic properties for applications in spintronics and its intersections. This review aims to offer a comprehensive review of the emergent physical properties of magnetic Janus monolayers and their van der Waals heterostructures from a theoretical point of view. The review starts by introducing the theoretical methodologies composed of the state-of-the-art methods and the challenges and limitations in validations for the descriptions of the magnetic ground states and thermodynamic properties in magnetic materials. The built-in polarization field induced physical phenomena of magnetic Janus monolayers are then presented. The tunable electronic and magnetic properties of magnetic Janus monolayer-based van der Waals heterostructures are discussed. Finally, the conclusions and future challenges in this field are prospected. This review serves as a complete summary of the two-dimensional magnetic Janus library and emergent electronic and magnetic properties in magnetic Janus monolayers and their heterostructures, and provides guidelines for the design of electronic and spintronic devices based on Janus materials.

Voltage-Controlled Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction Torque Switching of Perpendicular Magnetization

Magnetization switching is the most important operation in spintronic devices. In modern nonvolatile magnetic random-access memory (MRAM), it is usually realized by spin-transfer torque (STT) or spin-orbit torque (SOT). However, both STT and SOT MRAM require current to drive magnetization switching, which will cause Joule heating. Here, we report an alternative mechanism, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) torque, that can realize magnetization switching fully controlled by voltage pulses. We find that a consequential voltage-controlled reversal of DMI chirality in multiferroics can lead to continued expansion of a skyrmion thanks to the DMI torque. Enough DMI torque will eventually make the skyrmion burst into a quasiuniform ferromagnetic state with reversed magnetization, thus realizing the switching of a perpendicular magnet. The discovery is demonstrated in two-dimensional multiferroics, CuCrP_{2}Se_{6} and CrN, using first-principles calculations and micromagnetic simulations. As an example, we applied the DMI torque for simulating leaky-integrate-fire functionality of biological neurons. Our discovery of DMI torque switching of perpendicular magnetization provides tremendous potential toward magnetic-field-free and current-free spintronic devices, and neuromorphic computing as well.

Chiral Magnetic Interactions in Small Fe Clusters Triggered by Symmetry-Breaking Adatoms

The chirality of the interaction between the local magnetic moments in small transition-metal alloy clusters is investigated in the framework of density-functional theory. The Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) coupling vectors Dij between the Fe atoms in Fe2X and Fe3X with X = Cu, Pd, Pt, and Ir are derived from independent ground-state energy calculations for different noncollinear orientations of the local magnetic moments. The local-environment dependence of Dij and the resulting relative stability of different chiral magnetic orders are analyzed by contrasting the results for different adatoms X and by systematically varying the distance between the adatom X and the Fe clusters. One observes that the adatoms trigger most significant DM couplings in Fe2X, often in the range of 10–30 meV. Thus, the consequences of breaking the inversion symmetry of the Fe dimer are quantified. Comparison between the symmetric and antisymmetric Fe-Fe couplings shows that the DM couplings are about two orders of magnitude weaker than the isotropic Heisenberg interactions. However, they are in general stronger than the anisotropy of the symmetric couplings. In Fe3X, alloying induces interesting changes in both the direction and strength of the DM couplings, which are the consequence of breaking the reflection symmetry of the Fe trimer and which depend significantly on the adatom-trimer distance. A local analysis of the chirality of the electronic energy shows that the DM interactions are dominated by the spin-orbit coupling at the adatoms and that the contribution of the Fe atoms is small but not negligible.

Tailoring of the Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction in Perpendicularly Magnetized Epitaxial Multilayers by Crystal Engineering

The interplay between the interfacial crystalline structure and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) was investigated by Fe insertion in epitaxial Pt/Co/Ir perpendicular magnetized multilayers. The experimental results with the support of first-principles calculation indicate that the Fe/Ir interface exhibits a positive interfacial DMI (iDMI) originating from the fcc crystalline structure inserted by 2 monolayers (ML) Fe, while a negative one from the structure with a layer shifting of 1-ML Fe insertion. The total iDMI of the multilayers increases (decreases) due to the additive enhancement (competitive counteraction) between the iDMI of Fe/Ir and Pt/Co interfaces. Comparing the iDMI of single-crystalline and textured multilayers, the iDMI of multilayers is found to be particularly sensitive to the crystallinity nearby the heterointerfaces. This work is of vital importance to reveal a deeper insight into the physical mechanism of the iDMI and provides a viable strategy for tailoring the iDMI of the multilayers by crystal engineering.

Intrinsic chiral field as vector potential of the magnetic current in the zig-zag lattice of magnetic dipoles

Chiral magnetic insulators manifest novel phases of matter where the sense of rotation of the magnetization is associated with exotic transport phenomena. Effective control of such phases and their dynamical evolution points to the search and study of chiral fields like the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Here we combine experiments, numerics, and theory to study a zig-zag dipolar lattice as a model of an interface between magnetic in-plane layers with a perpendicular magnetization. The zig-zag lattice comprises two parallel sublattices of dipoles with perpendicular easy plane of rotation. The dipolar energy of the system is exactly separable into a sum of symmetric and antisymmetric long-range exchange interactions between dipoles, where the antisymmetric coupling generates a nonlocal Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya field which stabilizes winding textures with the form of chiral solitons. The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction acts as a vector potential or gauge field of the magnetic current and gives rise to emergent magnetic and electric fields that allow the manifestation of the magnetoelectric effect in the system.

Multiple Topological Magnetism in van der Waals Heterostructure of MnTe2/ZrS2

Topological magnetism in low-dimensional systems is of fundamental and practical importance in condensed-matter physics and material science. Here, using first-principles and Monte Carlo simulations, we present that multiple topological magnetism (i.e., skyrmion and bimeron) can survive in van der Waals heterostructure MnTe₂/ZrS₂. Arising from interlayer coupling, MnTe₂/ZrS₂ can harbor a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. This, combined with exchange interaction, yields an intriguing skyrmion phase under a tiny magnetic field of 75 mT. Meanwhile, upon harnessing a small electric field, magnetic bimeron can be observed in MnTe₂/ZrS₂, suggesting the existence of multiple topological magnetism. Through interlayer sliding, both topological magnetisms can be switched on-off. In addition, the impacts of d_∥ and K_eff on these spin textures are revealed, and a dimensionless parameter κ is utilized to describe their joint effect. These explored phenomena and insights not only are useful for fundamental research in topological magnetism but also enable novel applications in nanodevices.

Gradient-Induced Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) that arises in the magnetic systems with broken inversion symmetry plays an essential role in topological spintronics. Here, by means of atomistic spin calculations, we study an intriguing type of DMI (g-DMI) that emerges in the films with composition gradient. We show that both the strength and chirality of g-DMI can be controlled by the composition gradient even in the disordered system. The layer-resolved analysis of g-DMI unveils its additive nature inside the bulk layers and clarifies the linear thickness dependence of g-DMI observed in experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate the g-DMI-induced chiral magnetic structures, such as spin spirals and skyrmions, and the g-DMI driven field-free spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching, both of which are crucial toward practical device application. These results elucidate the underlying mechanisms of g-DMI and open up a new way to engineer the topological magnetic textures.

Topological phase transition and skyrmions in a Janus MnSbBiSe2Te2 monolayer

Using first-principles calculations and micro-magnetic simulations, we propose a Janus MnSbBiSe₂Te₂ (MSBST) monolayer derived from the MnBi₂Te₄ (MBT) ferromagnet and investigate the influence of biaxial strain on the electronic structures, topological characteristics and spin textures. Different from pristine MBT with an out-of-plane easy axis, the anisotropy of MSBST prefers an in-plane direction. Intriguingly, switching the easy axis direction of MSBST will significantly modify the band structure. Topological phase transition can be achieved by applying a compressive strain, making MSBST become a topological insulator with . Moreover, due to the inherent inversion asymmetry of Janus MSBST, a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is induced for generating and stabilizing skyrmions. By micro-magnetic simulations, the results of spin textures show that the skyrmions phase can be achieved in MSBST with an external magnetic field of 0.8 T. Our findings provide guidelines for the development and application of spintronic devices with nontrivial topological properties and a large DMI.

Theoretical Prediction of Antiferromagnetic Skyrmion Crystal in Janus Monolayer CrSi2N2As2

An antiferromagnetic skyrmion crystal (AF-SkX), a regular array of antiferromagnetic skyrmions, is a fundamental phenomenon in the field of condensed-matter physics. So far, very few proposals have been made to realize the AF-SkX, and most have been based on three-dimensional (3D) materials. Herein, using first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, we report the identification of AF-SkX in a two-dimensional lattice of the Janus monolayer CrSi2N2As2. Arising from the broken inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling, a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is obtained in the Janus monolayer CrSi2N2As2. This, combined with the geometric frustration of its triangular lattice, gives rise to the skyrmion physics and long-sought AF-SkX in the presence of an external magnetic field. More intriguingly, this system presents two different antiferromagnetic skyrmion phases, and such a phenomenon is distinct from those reported in 3D systems. Furthermore, by contacting with Sc2CO2, the creation and annihilation of AF-SkX in Janus monolayer CrSi2N2As2 can be achieved through ferroelectricity. These findings greatly enrich the research on antiferromagnetic skyrmions.

Non-equilibrium heating path for the laser-induced nucleation of metastable skyrmion lattices

Understanding formation of metastable phases by rapid energy pumping and quenching has been intriguing scientists for a long time. This issue is crucial for technologically relevant systems such as magnetic skyrmions which are frequently metastable at zero field. Using Atomistic Spin Dynamics simulations, we show the possibility of creating metastable skyrmion lattices in cobalt-based trilayers by femtosecond laser heating. Similar to the formation of supercooled ice droplets in the gas phase, high temperature ultrafast excitation creates magnon drops and their fast relaxation leads to acquisition and quenching of the skyrmion topological protection. The interplay between different processes corresponds to a specific excitation window which can be additionally controlled by external fields. The results are contrasted with longer-scale heating leading to a phase transition to the stable states. Our results provide insight into the dynamics of the highly non-equilibrium pathway for spin excitations and pave additional routes for skyrmion-based information technologies.

Exchange interactions in the 1T-VSe2 monolayer and their modulation via electron doping using alkali metal adsorption and the electride substrate

The modulation of exchange interactions in layered magnets has fundamental research value and potential applications in spintronics. Based on first-principles calculations, the exchange interactions in the experimentally controversial room-temperature ferromagnetic 1T-VSe₂ monolayer are systematically studied. It is found that three shells of nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange interactions and higher-order interactions are crucial for an accurate description of the magnetism and its thermal stability in the 1T-VSe₂ monolayer. Based on our understanding of tuning the magnetic interactions and the magnetic ground state in the 1T-VSe₂ monolayer via external factors, two modulation methods, involving adsorption of the alkali metal lithium and the electride Ca₂N substrate, are proposed. In both Li-VSe₂ and VSe₂/Ca₂N systems, the strongly frustrated Heisenberg exchange interaction competes with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and magnetocrystalline anisotropy, leading to complex magnetic ground states, such as antiferromagnetic spin spiral and periodic antiferromagnetic cycloidal states. Moreover, the higher-order exchange interactions play a crucial role in the stabilization of long-range double-row-wise antiferromagnetic states in Li-VSe₂ and VSe₂/Ca₂N. These results highlight the effective manipulation of exchange interactions in two-dimensional magnets.

Strain-Driven Zero-Field Near-10 nm Skyrmions in Two-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures

Magnetic skyrmions─localized chiral spin structures─show great promise for spintronic applications. The recent discovery of two-dimensional (2D) magnets opened new opportunities for topological spin structures in atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials. Despite recent progress in stabilizing metastable skyrmions in 2D magnets, their lifetime, essential for applications, has not been explored yet. Here, using first-principles calculations and atomistic spin simulations, we predict that compressive strain leads to stabilizing zero-field skyrmions with diameters close to 10 nm in a Fe₃GeTe₂/germanene vdW heterostructure. The origin of these unique skyrmions is attributed to the high tunability of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy by strain, which generally holds for Fe₃GeTe₂ heterostructures with buckled substrates. Furthermore, we calculate the energy barriers protecting skyrmions against annihilation and their lifetimes using transition-state theory. We show that nanoscale skyrmions in strained Fe₃GeTe₂/germanene can be stable for hours at temperatures up to 20 K.

Nucleation and manipulation of single skyrmions using spin-polarized currents in antiferromagnetic skyrmion-based racetrack memories

In this work, an ultrafast nucleation of an isolated anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) skyrmion was reported in an AFM layer with DMi strengths of 0.47\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$-$$\end{document}-0.32 \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\mathrm{mJ}/{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$$\end{document}mJ/m2 using spin-transfer torque by locally injecting pure spin currents into magnetic tracks. Besides, we revealed the key advantages of AFM skyrmion-based racetrack memories by comparing the motion of AFM and FM skyrmions driven by spin–orbit torques (SOTs) for different skyrmion sizes along racetrack memories with various notch sizes. Our results indicate that for AFM skyrmion, the skyrmion Hall effect does not exist during the skyrmion motion, therefore at small skyrmion sizes, we succeeded to overcome the repulsive forces developed in the notch area for low and large SOTs. The obtained findings were carefully analyzed by computing the variation of energy barriers associated with the notch for different skyrmion sizes using minimum energy path (MEP) calculations. We showed that the larger the skyrmion size, the harder it is to shrink the skyrmion in the notch which produces a high energy barrier (E_b) for large skyrmion sizes. Moreover, as the notch size increases, the skyrmion size shrinks further, and hence E_b increases proportionally. Nevertheless, we proved that AFM skyrmions are more efficient and flexible than FM skyrmions against boundary forces.

Gate-controlled skyrmion and domain wall chirality

Magnetic skyrmions are localized chiral spin textures, which offer great promise to store and process information at the nanoscale. In the presence of asymmetric exchange interactions, their chirality, which governs their dynamics, is generally considered as an intrinsic parameter set during the sample deposition. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate that a gate voltage can control this key parameter. We probe the chirality of skyrmions and chiral domain walls by observing the direction of their current-induced motion and show that a gate voltage can reverse it. This local and dynamical reversal of the chirality is due to a sign inversion of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction that we attribute to ionic migration of oxygen under gate voltage. Micromagnetic simulations show that the chirality reversal is a continuous transformation, in which the skyrmion is conserved. This control of chirality with 2-3 V gate voltage can be used for skyrmion-based logic devices, yielding new functionalities.

The impacts of molecular adsorption on antiferromagnetic MnPS3 monolayers: enhanced magnetic anisotropy and intralayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

In two-dimensional (2D) magnetic systems, significant magnetic anisotropy is required to protect magnetic ordering against thermal fluctuation. In this paper, we explored the effect of molecular adsorption on the magnetic anisotropy and intralayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) of monolayer MnPS₃, combining the first-principles calculation and theoretical analysis. We find that molecular adsorption can break the spatial inversion symmetry in a 2D magnet, and results in a significant DMI, which is rare in pristine 2D magnets. For example, in an MPS-NO system, the magnitude of the asymmetric DMI vector increases 9 times, and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy increases 600 times compared with the pristine MPS monolayer. It is found the DMI mainly comes from the structural deformation after adsorption, whereas the increase of magnetocrystalline anisotropy mainly originates from a new 'bridge' super-exchange interaction between Mn ions and NO gas molecules. The calculated Mn-NO-Mn 'bridge' super-exchange coupling strength is much higher than the Mn-S-Mn coupling strength. Our findings offer a new strategy to increase the magnetic anisotropy and induce chiral magnetic structures in 2D magnets.

The Magnetic Genome of Two-Dimensional van der Waals Materials

Magnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials has recently emerged as one of the most promising areas in condensed matter research, with many exciting emerging properties and significant potential for applications ranging from topological magnonics to low-power spintronics, quantum computing, and optical communications. In the brief time after their discovery, 2D magnets have blossomed into a rich area for investigation, where fundamental concepts in magnetism are challenged by the behavior of spins that can develop at the single layer limit. However, much effort is still needed in multiple fronts before 2D magnets can be routinely used for practical implementations. In this comprehensive review, prominent authors with expertise in complementary fields of 2D magnetism (i.e., synthesis, device engineering, magneto-optics, imaging, transport, mechanics, spin excitations, and theory and simulations) have joined together to provide a genome of current knowledge and a guideline for future developments in 2D magnetic materials research.

Enhancement of Damping-Like Field and Field-Free Switching in Pt/(Co/Pt)/PtMn Trilayer Films Prepared in the Presence of an In Situ Magnetic Field

The current-induced magnetization switching and damping-like field in Pt/(Co/Pt)/PtMn trilayer films prepared with and without an in situ in-plane field of 600 Oe have been studied systematically. In the presence of the in situ field, a small in-plane bias field (H_EB) is observed for films with PtMn thickness ≥5 nm, while there is no observable H_EB for PtMn thickness ≤3 nm. Nevertheless, a field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization of Co/Pt is observed for all the films with the PtMn thickness of 1-7 nm. On the other hand, without the presence of the in situ field, H_EB and field-free switching are not seen. Furthermore, the damping-like fields (H_DL) are much enhanced in the presence of the in situ field, and the increasement can be up to 47%. We further revealed that the spin current is mainly from the Pt layer, while the noncollinear spin configuration at the interface caused by the in situ in-plane field may play a role in the H_DL enhancement. Micromagnetic simulations indicate that the canting of antiferromagnet PtMn spins plays an important role in the field-free switching. Our findings clarify the source of spin current in the trilayer films and provide an easier approach to field-free switching and H_DL enhancement for future low-power spintronic devices.

Ferroelectric Control of Magnetic Skyrmions in Two-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures

Magnetic skyrmions are chiral nanoscale spin textures which are usually induced by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Recently, magnetic skyrmions have been observed in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic materials, such as Fe₃GeTe₂. The electric control of skyrmions is important for their potential application in low-power memory technologies. Here, we predict that DMI and magnetic skyrmions in a Fe₃GeTe₂ monolayer can be controlled by ferroelectric polarization of an adjacent 2D vdW ferroelectric In₂Se₃. Based on density functional theory and atomistic spin-dynamics modeling, we find that the interfacial symmetry breaking produces a sizable DMI in a Fe₃GeTe₂/In₂Se₃ vdW heterostructure. We show that the magnitude of DMI can be controlled by ferroelectric polarization reversal, leading to creation and annihilation of skyrmions. Furthermore, we find that the sign of DMI in a In₂Se₃/Fe₃GeTe₂/In₂Se₃ heterostructure changes with ferroelectric switching reversing the skyrmion chirality. The predicted electrically controlled skyrmion formation may be interesting for spintronic applications.

Quantifying the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction Induced by the Bulk Magnetic Asymmetry

A broken interfacial inversion symmetry in ultrathin ferromagnet/heavy metal (FM/HM) bilayers is generally believed to be a prerequisite for accommodating the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and for stabilizing chiral spin textures. In these bilayers, the strength of the DMI decays as the thickness of the FM layer increases and vanishes around a few nanometers. In the present study, through synthesizing relatively thick films of compositions CoPt or FePt, CoCu or FeCu, FeGd and FeNi, contributions to DMI from the composition gradient-induced bulk magnetic asymmetry (BMA) and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) are systematically examined. Using Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy, both the sign and amplitude of DMI in films with controllable direction and strength of BMA, in the presence and absence of SOC, are experimentally studied. In particular, we show that a sizable amplitude of DMI (±0.15  mJ/m^{2}) can be realized in CoPt or FePt films with BMA and strong SOC, whereas negligible DMI strengths are observed in other thick films with BMA but without significant SOC. The pivotal roles of BMA and SOC are further examined based on the three-site Fert-Lévy model and first-principles calculations. It is expected that our findings may help to further understand the origin of chiral magnetism and to design novel noncollinear spin textures.

XMCD and ab initio study of interface-engineered ultrathin Ru/Co/W/Ru films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

Understanding the nature of recently discovered spin-orbital induced phenomena and a definition of a general approach for "ferromagnet/heavy-metal" layered systems to enhance and manipulate spin-orbit coupling, spin-orbit torque, and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) assisted by atomic-scale interface engineering are essential for developing spintronics and spin-orbitronics. Here, we exploit X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) spectroscopy at the L_2,3-edges of 5d and 4d non-magnetic heavy metals (W and Ru, respectively) in ultrathin Ru/Co/W/Ru films to determine their induced magnetic moments due to the proximity to the ferromagnetic layer of Co. The deduced orbital and spin magnetic moments agree well with the theoretically predicted values, highlighting the drastic effect of constituting layers on the system's magnetic properties and the strong interfacial DMI in Ru/Co/W/Ru films. As a result, we demonstrate the ability to simultaneously control the strength of magnetic anisotropy and intermixing-enhanced DMI through the interface engineered inversion asymmetry in thin-film chiral ferromagnets, which are a potential host for stable magnetic skyrmions.

Anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction and Topological Magnetism in Two-Dimensional Magnets Protected by P4̅m2 Crystal Symmetry

As a fundamental magnetic parameter, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), has gained a great deal of attention in the last two decades due to its critical role in formation of magnetic skyrmions. Recent discoveries of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnets has also gained a great deal of attention due to appealing physical properties, such as gate tunability, flexibility, and miniaturization. Intensive studies have shown that isotropic DMI stabilizes ferromagnetic (FM) topological spin textures in 2D magnets or their corresponding heterostructures. However, the investigation of anisotropic DMI and antiferromagnetic (AFM) topological spin configurations remains elusive. Here, we propose and demonstrate a family of 2D magnets with P4m2 symmetry-protected anisotropic DMI. More interestingly, various topological spin configurations, including FM/AFM antiskyrmion and AFM vortex-antivortex pair, emerge in this family. These results give a general method to design anisotropic DMI and pave the way toward topological magnetism in 2D materials using crystal symmetry.

Domain wall motion driven by a wide range of current in coupled soft/hard ferromagnetic nanowires

Racetrack memory with the advantages of small size and high reading speed is proposed based on current-induced domain wall (DW) motion in a ferromagnetic (FM) nanowire. Walker breakdown that restricts the enhancement of DW velocity in a single FM nanowire can be depressed by inter-wire magnetostatic coupling in a double FM nanowire system. However, this magnetostatic coupling also limits the working current density in a small range. In the present work, based on micromagnetic calculation, we have found that when there is a moderate difference of magnetic anisotropy constant between two FM nanowires, the critical current density for triggering the DW motion can be reduced while that for breaking the inter-wire coupling can be enhanced significantly to a magnitude of 1013 A m-2, which is far above the working current density in current electronic devices. The manipulation of working current density is relevant to the modification of DW structure and inter-wire magnetostatic coupling due to the difference of the anisotropy constants between the two nanowires and paves a way to develop racetrack memory that can work in a wide range of current.

Tuning the size of skyrmion by strain at the Co/Pt3 Interfaces

Based on density functional theory calculations, we elucidated the tunability of the atomic structures and magnetic interactions of Co/Pt₃ interface (one layer of hcp(0001) Co and three layers of fcc(111) Pt) and thus the skyrmion sizes using strain. The dispersion relations of the spin spiral in the opposite directions, E(q) and E(-q), were evaluated based on generalized Bloch equations. Effective exchange coupling (EC) and Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction (DMI) parameters between different neighbors J_i and d_i at different lattice constants were derived by fitting the resulting spin spiral dispersion E(q) to EC model with DMI and E(q)-E(-q) formula, respectively. We observed an increase in DMI and a significant decrease in EC with an increase in strain. Hence, the size of Néel-type skyrmions determined by the ratio of EC/DMI can be controlled by applying strain, leading to an effective approach to tailor the formation of skyrmion lattices by inducing slight structural modifications on the magnetic thin films.

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Calculate the EC and DMI of multi-nearest neighbors in the VASP program

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Show detailed changes of multi-nearest neighboring EC and DMI with deformation

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The size of skyrmion does decrease as the lattice constant increases

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Distance between Co and Pt layer determines the size of DMI

Doping Control of Magnetic Anisotropy for Stable Antiskyrmion Formation in Schreibersite (Fe,Ni)3 P with S4 symmetry

Magnetic skyrmions, vortex-like topological spin textures, have attracted much interest in a wide range of research fields from fundamental physics to spintronics applications. Recently, growing attention is also paid to antiskyrmions emerging with opposite topological charge in non-centrosymmetric magnets with D_2d or S₄ symmetry. In these magnets, complex interplay among anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, and magnetic dipolar interactions generates various magnetic textures. However, the precise role of these magnetic interactions in stabilizing antiskyrmions remains to be elucidated. In this work, the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of schreibersite (Fe,Ni)₃ P with S₄ symmetry is controlled by doping and its impact on the stability of antiskyrmions is investigated. The authors' magnetometry study, supported by ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy, shows that the variation of the Ni content and slight doping with 4d transition metals considerably change the magnetic anisotropy. In particular, doping with Pd induces easy-axis anisotropy, giving rise to formation of antiskyrmions, while a temperature-induced spin reorientation is observed in an Rh-doped compound. In combination with Lorentz transmission electron microscopy and micromagnetic simulations, the stability of antiskyrmion as functions of uniaxial anisotropy and demagnetization energy is quantitatively analyzed, and demonstrated that subtle balance between them is necessary to stabilize the antiskyrmions.

Fundamentals of Curvilinear Ferromagnetism: Statics and Dynamics of Geometrically Curved Wires and Narrow Ribbons

Low-dimensional magnetic architectures including wires and thin films are key enablers of prospective ultrafast and energy efficient memory, logic, and sensor devices relying on spin-orbitronic and magnonic concepts. Curvilinear magnetism emerged as a novel approach in material science, which allows tailoring of the fundamental anisotropic and chiral responses relying on the geometrical curvature of magnetic architectures. Much attention is dedicated to magnetic wires of Möbius, helical, or DNA-like double helical shapes, which act as prototypical objects for the exploration of the fundamentals of curvilinear magnetism. Although there is a bulk number of original publications covering fabrication, characterization, and theory of magnetic wires, there is no comprehensive review of the theoretical framework of how to describe these architectures. Here, theoretical activities on the topic of curvilinear magnetic wires and narrow nanoribbons are summarized, providing a systematic review of the emergent interactions and novel physical effects caused by the curvature. Prospective research directions of curvilinear spintronics and spin-orbitronics are discussed, the fundamental framework for curvilinear magnonics are outlined, and mechanically flexible curvilinear architectures for soft robotics are introduced.

New Dimension in Magnetism and Superconductivity: 3D and Curvilinear Nanoarchitectures

Traditionally, the primary field, where curvature has been at the heart of research, is the theory of general relativity. In recent studies, however, the impact of curvilinear geometry enters various disciplines, ranging from solid-state physics over soft-matter physics, chemistry, and biology to mathematics, giving rise to a plethora of emerging domains such as curvilinear nematics, curvilinear studies of cell biology, curvilinear semiconductors, superfluidity, optics, 2D van der Waals materials, plasmonics, magnetism, and superconductivity. Here, the state of the art is summarized and prospects for future research in curvilinear solid-state systems exhibiting such fundamental cooperative phenomena as ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, and superconductivity are outlined. Highlighting the recent developments and current challenges in theory, fabrication, and characterization of curvilinear micro- and nanostructures, special attention is paid to perspective research directions entailing new physics and to their strong application potential. Overall, the perspective is aimed at crossing the boundaries between the magnetism and superconductivity communities and drawing attention to the conceptual aspects of how extension of structures into the third dimension and curvilinear geometry can modify existing and aid launching novel functionalities. In addition, the perspective should stimulate the development and dissemination of research and development oriented techniques to facilitate rapid transitions from laboratory demonstrations to industry-ready prototypes and eventual products.