arXiv · 2306.00123
Optical creation and annihilation of skyrmion patches in a bulk chiral magnet
Abstract
A key challenge for the realization of future skyrmion devices comprises the controlled creation, annihilation and detection of these topologically non-trivial magnetic spin textures. In this study, we report an all-optical approach for writing, deleting, and reading skyrmions in the cubic chiral magnet Fe$_{0.25}$Co$_{0.75}$Si based on thermal quenching. Using focused femtosecond laser pulses, patches of a skyrmion state are created and annihilated locally, demonstrating unprecedented control of thermally metastable skyrmions in a bulk compound. The skyrmion state is read-out by analyzing the microwave spin excitations in time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. Extracting the magnetic field and laser fluence dependence, we find well-separated magnetic field regimes and different laser fluence thresholds for the laser-induced creation and annihilation of metastable skyrmions. The all-optical skyrmion control, as established in this study for a model system, represents a promising and energy-efficient approach for the realization of skyrmions as magnetic bits in future storage devices, reminiscent of magneto-optical storage devices in the past.
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Jantje Kalin, Sibylle Sievers, Daniel Kalin, Andreas Bauer, Robin Abram, Heiko Füser, Hans Werner Schumacher, Christian Pfleiderer, Mark Bieler. 2023-05-31. Optical creation and annihilation of skyrmion patches in a bulk chiral magnet. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevapplied.21.034065
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