arXiv subjects

Christopher H. Marrows

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher H. Marrows.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Temperature-Dependent Spin-Orbit Torque Generation in Perpendicularly Magnetized Topological Insulator-Magnetic Multilayer Heterostructures

We report a comprehensive temperature-dependent investigation of spin-orbit torque (SOT) generation in heterostructures comprising a perpendicularly magnetized metallic multilayer grown on top of a topological insulator (TI) epilayer. Temperature-dependent second-harmonic Hall measurements reveal distinct trends in the magnitude of the spin-orbit torque across the studied heterostructures. Samples incorporating Bi2Se3 exhibit torques reaching approximately 12 mT/(10^12 A m^-2) at 15 K, around 5 times larger than those in a multilayer without the topological layer. The structure with a thin 2-nm Ta buffer for the multilayer shows the strongest enhancement and a pronounced increase at low temperatures, highlighting efficient spin-current generation from the topological surface states. In contrast, the sample with a 10 nm-thick Ta spacer exhibits reduced torque efficiency, consistent with partial attenuation of spin transmission through the buffer. Systems lacking Bi2Se3 but containing two heavy metals (Ta and Pt) yield significantly smaller torques, around 2.5 mT/(10^12 A m^-2), despite the presence of conventional spin Hall sources. These observations underscore the dominant role of TI-derived spin-momentum-locked currents in driving large damping-like torques and their sensitivity to interfacial structure and buffer-layer thickness.

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arXiv2026

Anisotropic domain wall velocity profiles in the creep regime: the interplay of chiral damping, stiffness and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

The asymmetric expansion of magnetic bubble domains in ultrathin ferromagnets provides a powerful route to probe the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). While conventional analyses rely on domain wall velocities measured along selected directions as a function of in-plane field, recent approaches have highlighted the additional insight contained in the angular dependence of the velocity, $v(\theta)$. Here, we develop an extended angular creep model that incorporates both the dispersive domain wall stiffness and a chirality-dependent prefactor associated with chiral damping. This generalization captures the full anisotropic dynamics of domain wall motion around a bubble domain. We show that these contributions significantly modify the angular velocity profile and can lead to features not accessible within existing models. Our results establish a more complete framework for interpreting creep-driven domain expansion and provide improved sensitivity for the quantitative extraction of DMI and chiral dynamical effects.

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arXiv2026

Beyond conventional skyrmions in synthetic antiferromagnets

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures that can act as reconfigurable nanoscale information carriers. In synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs), interlayer exchange coupling offers an additional control parameter beyond the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and magnetic anisotropy. Here, we engineer a SAF composed of two chemically distinct ferromagnets (CoB and CoFeB), in which the external magnetic field and interlayer exchange act asymmetrically on the sublattices. The competition of these effects, acting as a resultant effective-field, gives rise to two distinct skyrmion families in different field regimes. In large fields, conventional-polarity skyrmions nucleate, with core antiparallel to the external field, whereas in smaller fields an inverse-polarity skyrmion state emerges as the effective-field reverses sign and almost saturates the CoFeB layers. Return-point memory measurements confirm independent nucleation pathways for the two families. Using element-resolved x-ray magnetometry, correlative magnetic force and Lorentz transmission electron microscopies, and parameter-matched micromagnetic modelling, we show that all textures reside only in the CoFeB layers, which experience a Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) exchange field originating from the CoB layers. This effective-field method provides a robust route to programmable three-dimensional spin textures with controlled polarity in selected layers of a multilayer with potential for applications in skyrmion-based computing and spin-logic architectures.

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arXiv2026

Tailoring Ultrathin Magnetic Multilayers at Terraced Topologically Insulating Interfaces for Perpendicularly Magnetized Domains

Topological insulators and skyrmion-hosting, chiral magnetic multilayers are two well-explored areas of modern condensed matter physics, each offering unique advantages for spintronics applications. In this paper, we demonstrate the optimization process for the growth of a Bi$_2$Se$_3$/buffer/[Pt/CoB/Ru]$_{\times N}$ heterostructure that combines these two material classes: the Bi$_2$Se$_3$ epilayer was grown by molecular beam epitaxy before transfer under ultrahigh vacuum to a separate growth chamber where the polycrystalline metallic multilayer was sputter deposited. The structure of the samples was characterized by co-fitted X-ray and polarized neutron reflectometry measurements and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Polarized neutron models and standard magnetometry show that a buffer layer exceeding a critical thickness is required to obtain the desired uniform, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in every magnetic layer in the multilayer. Samples with both Ta and Mo buffers were used requiring thicknesses of 1.5 and 0.9 nm respectively. In minimizing the Bi$_2$Se$_3$ terracing, buffered samples yield well-defined, out-of-plane, magnetic domains suitable for spin-orbit torque induced manipulation as determined by X-ray photoemission electron microscopy.

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arXiv2026

The 2026 Skyrmionics Roadmap

Magnetic skyrmions and related topological spin textures have emerged as a central topic in condensed-matter physics, combining fundamental significance with potential for transformative applications in spintronics, magnonics, and beyond. Over the past decade, advances in material platforms, imaging techniques, theoretical modeling, and device concepts have established skyrmionics as a rapidly expanding field. At the same time, challenges remain in stabilizing, controlling, and integrating such textures into functional architectures, while novel phenomena such as antiskyrmions, higher-order skyrmions, hopfions, and antiferromagnetic textures arise. The 2026 Skyrmionics Roadmap represents a collective effort of many authors, providing a comprehensive perspective on the current state-of-the-art and the outlook for the coming years. In 33 focused sections, each co-authored by two researchers, we chart progress in theory and modeling, material systems, skyrmion dynamics, and skyrmion technologies. By offering a consolidated vision, this Roadmap aims to guide both fundamental research and application-driven efforts, accelerating the transition of skyrmionics from conceptual breakthroughs toward practical technologies.

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arXiv2026

Structural and magnetic properties of co-sputtered epitaxial Fe-Sn kagome thin films

In recent years the intermetallic alloys of Fe and Sn have gained significant interest due to a rich variety of magnetic properties present in these materials. The crystal Fe3Sn2 is a frustrated ferromagnet, while the crystallographically similar FeSn, which differs only by the stacking sequence of its Fe-containining kagome and stanene layers, is an antiferromagnet. Thin-film growth techniques such as magnetron sputtering allow for these different stoichiometric compositions to be grown through adjustments of the rate of deposition of the individual Fe and Sn sources, while all other conditions remain constant. Here, we report the production of high quality epitaxial thin films of Fe$_3$Sn$_2$ and FeSn on sapphire with a Pt seed layer, as well as a mixed phase containing intergrowths of both crystals, all of which we have characterized using both X-ray and four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) methods. The resulting crystallographic phase content is compared to the results of magnetization measurements, with correspondence between the predicted ferromagnetic phase content and the resulting magnetization. Further magnetic properties of these films can then also be compared, leading to the discovery of a unique behavior in the temperature dependent coercivity within highly mixed phase alloys, a feature that is absent in either pure Fe3Sn2 and FeSn.

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arXiv2025

Skyrmion motion in a synthetic antiferromagnet driven by asymmetric spin wave emission

Skyrmions have been proposed as new information carriers in racetrack memory devices. To realise such devices, a small size; high speed of propagation; and minimal skyrmion Hall angle are required. Synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) present the ideal materials system to realise these aims. In this work, we use micromagnetic simulations to propose a new method for manipulating them using exclusively global magnetic fields. An out-of-plane microwave field induces oscillations in the skyrmions radius which in turn emits spin waves. When a static in-plane field is added, this breaks the symmetry of the skyrmions and causes asymmetric spin wave emission. This in turn drives motion of the skyrmions, with the fastest velocities observed at the frequency of the intrinsic out-of-phase breathing mode of the pair of skyrmions. This behaviour is investigated over a range of experimentally realistic antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling strengths, and the results compared to previous works studying similar motion driven with an oscillating electric field. Through this the true effect of varying the exchange coupling strength is determined, and greater insight is gained into the mechanism of skyrmion motion. These results will help to inform the design of future novel computing architectures based on the dynamics of skyrmions in synthetic antiferromagnets.

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arXiv2025

Thermoelectric Fingerprinting of Bloch- and N\'{e}el-type Skyrmions

Magnetic skyrmions are nanoscale spin textures that exhibit topological stability, which, along with novel thermal and electrical transport properties, make them the ideal candidates for a variety of novel technological applications. Accessing the skyrmion spin texture at the nanoscale and understanding its interaction with local thermal gradients is essential for engineering skyrmion-based transport phenomena. However, direct experimental insight into the local thermoelectric response of single skyrmions remains limited. To address this, we employ scanning thermoelectric microscopy~(SThEM) to probe the nanoscale thermoelectric response from a single skyrmion. By mapping the local thermoelectric voltage with nanoscale precision, we reveal a unique spatially resolved response that is the convolution of the underlying spin texture of the skyrmion and its interaction with the highly localised thermal gradient originating from the heated probe. We combine this with thermoelectric modelling of a range of skyrmion spin textures to reveal unique thermoelectric responses and allow the possibility of SThEM to be used as a tool to distinguish nanoscale spin textures. These findings provide fundamental insights into the interaction of topologically protected spin textures with local thermal gradients and the resultant spin transport. We demonstrate a novel route to characterise nanoscale spin textures, accelerating the material optimisation cycle, while also opening the possibility to harness skyrmions for spin caloritronics.

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arXiv2025

Temperature gradient-driven motion of magnetic domains in a magnetic metal multilayer by entropic forces

We studied the displacement of magnetic domains under temperature gradients in perpendicularly magnetized Ta/[Pt/Co$_{68}$B$_{32}$/Ir]$_{\times 10}$/Pt multilayer tracks with microfabricated Pt heaters/thermometers by magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Subtracting out the effects of the Oersted field from the heating current reveals the pure temperature gradient-driven motion, which is always towards the heater. The higher the thermal gradient along the track (owing to proximity to the heater or larger heater currents), the greater the observed displacements of the domains, up to a velocity of around 1~nm/s in a temperature gradient of 20~K/$μ$m. Quantitative estimates of the strength of different driving mechanisms show that entropic forces dominate over those arising from the spin Seebeck and spin-dependent Seebeck effects.

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arXiv2024

Ultra-high spin emission from antiferromagnetic FeRh

An antiferromagnet emits spin currents when time-reversal symmetry is broken. This is typically achieved by applying an external magnetic field below and above the spin-flop transition or by optical pumping. In this work we apply optical pump-THz emission spectroscopy to study picosecond spin pumping from metallic FeRh as a function of temperature. Intriguingly we find that in the low-temperature antiferromagnetic phase the laser pulse induces a large and coherent spin pumping, while not crossing into the ferromagnetic phase. With temperature and magnetic field dependent measurements combined with atomistic spin dynamics simulations we show that the antiferromagnetic spin-lattice is destabilised by the combined action of optical pumping and picosecond spin-biasing by the conduction electron population, which results in spin accumulation. We propose that the amplitude of the effect is inherent to the nature of FeRh, particularly the Rh atoms and their high spin susceptibility. We believe that the principles shown here could be used to produce more effective spin current emitters. Our results also corroborate the work of others showing that the magnetic phase transition begins on a very fast picosecond timescale, but this timescale is often hidden by measurements which are confounded by the slower domain dynamics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Phase Coexistence and Transitions between Antiferromagnetic and Ferromagnetic States in a Synthetic Antiferromagnet

In synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) the combination of antiferromagnetic order and synthesis using conventional sputtering techniques is combined to produce systems that are advantageous for spintronics applications. Here we present the preparation and study of SAF multilayers possessing both perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. The multilayers have an antiferromagnetically (AF) aligned ground state but can be forced into a full ferromagnetic (FM) alignment by applying an out-of-plane field $\sim 100$~mT. We study the spin textures in these multilayers in their ground state as well as around the transition point between the AF and FM states, at fields $\sim 40$~mT, by imaging the spin textures using complementary methods: photo-emission electron, magnetic force, and Lorentz transmission electron microscopies. The transformation into a FM state by field proceeds by a nucleation and growth process, where first skyrmionic nuclei form, which broaden into regions containing a FM-aligned labyrinth pattern that eventually occupies the whole film. This process remarkably occurs without any significant change in the net magnetic moment of the multilayer. The mix of AF- and FM-aligned regions on the micron scale in the middle of this transition is reminiscent of a first-order phase transition that exhibits phase coexistence. These results are important for guiding the design of spintronic devices using chiral magnetic textures made from SAFs.

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arXiv2023

Dynamics of bistable Néel domain walls under spin-orbit torque

Néel magnetic domain walls that are stabilized by achiral energy terms instead of the usual Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction will be bistable, with the two possible chiral forms being degenerate. Here we focus on the theoretical study of the spin-orbit torque driven dynamics of such bistable Néel domain walls. We find that, for a given domain wall, two propagation directions along a nanowire are possible, depending on its initial state. These dynamics also exhibit complex dependence on the spin-orbit torque magnitude, leading to important transient regimes. Finally, a few ways are proposed for controlled or random reversal of the domain wall propagation direction. A robust analytical model which handles all the observed behaviors of such domain walls is developed and validated by comparing with numerical simulations. The obtained new dynamics open the way for new uses of domain walls in information storage and processing devices.

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arXiv2023

Statics and Dynamics of Skyrmions in Balanced and Unbalanced Synthetic Antiferromagnets

Synthetic antiferromagnets have great potential as skyrmion carriers in which new properties are expected for these spin textures, owing to changed magnetostatics and the absence of net topological charge. Here we numerically simulate the static and dynamic behaviour of skyrmions in these systems and clearly highlight the benefits compared to ferromagnetic single layers. In particular, our results show a reduction of the skyrmion radius, an increase of their velocity under current, and a vanishing of their topological deflection. We also provide a robust and straightforward analytical model that captures the physics of such skyrmions. Finally, by extending the model to the case of an unbalanced SAF, we show some conditions for the system that optimise the properties of the skyrmion for potential spintronic devices.

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arXiv2023

Breathing Modes of Skyrmion Strings in a Synthetic Antiferromagnet

Skyrmions are small topologically protected magnetic structures that hold promise for applications from data storage to neuromorphic computing and they have been shown to possess internal microwave frequency excitations. Skyrmions in a synthetic antiferromagnet have been predicted to be smaller and faster than their ferromagnetic equivalents, and also shown to possess more internal modes. In this work we consider the breathing modes of skyrmions in a four repetition synthetic antiferromagnetic multilayer by means of micromagnetic simulations and examine the further splitting of the modes into different arrangements of out-of-phase and in-phase modes. This results in a lowering of frequencies which is promising for skyrmion sensing applications in a synthetic antiferromagnet.

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arXiv2022

Collective skyrmion motion under the influence of an additional interfacial spin-transfer torque

Here we study the effect of an additional interfacial spin-transfer torque, as well as the well established spin-orbit torque and bulk spin-transfer torque, on skyrmion collections - group of skyrmions dense enough that they are not isolated from on another - in ultrathin heavy metal / ferromagnetic multilayers, by comparing modelling with experimental results. Using a skyrmion collection with a range of skyrmion diameters and landscape disorder, we study the dependence of the skyrmion Hall angle on diameter and velocity, as well as the velocity as a function of diameter. We show the experimental results are in good agreement with modelling when including the interfacial spin-transfer torque, and cannot be reproduced by using the spin-orbit torque alone. We also show that for skyrmion collections the velocity is approximately independent of diameter, in marked contrast to the motion of isolated skyrmions, as the group of skyrmions move together at an average group velocity. Moreover, the calculated skyrmion velocities are comparable to those obtained in experiments when the interfacial spin-transfer torque in included, whilst modelling using the spin-orbit torque alone shows large discrepancies with the experimental data. Our results thus show the significance of the interfacial spin-transfer torque in ultrathin magnetic multilayers, which is of similar strength to the spin-orbit torque, and both significantly larger than the bulk spin-transfer torque. Due to the good agreement with experiments, we conclude that the interfacial spin-transfer torque should be included in numerical modelling for correct reproduction of experimental results.

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arXiv2022

Measuring interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in ultra-thin magnetic films

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), being one of the origins of chiral magnetism, is currently attracting considerable attention in the research community focusing on applied magnetism and spintronics. For future applications, an accurate measurement of its strength is indispensable. Here we present a review of the state-of-the-art of measuring the coefficient of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, the DMI constant $D$, focusing on systems where the interaction arises from the interface between two materials (i.e. interfacial DMI). We give an overview of the experimental techniques as well as their theoretical background and models for the quantification of the DMI constant. The measurement techniques are divided into three categories: a) domain wall-based measurements, b) spin wave-based measurements and c) spin-orbit torque-based measurements. We analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each method and compare $D$ values at different interfaces. The review aims to obtain a better understanding of the applicability of the different techniques to various stacks and of the origin of apparent disagreements among literature values.

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arXiv2021

Competition Between Exchange and Magnetostatic Energies in Domain Pattern Transfer from BaTiO$_3$(111) to Ni Thin Film

We use spin polarized low energy electron microscopy to investigate domain pattern transfer in a multiferroic heterostructure consisting of a $(111)$-oriented BaTiO$_{\mathrm{3}}$ substrate and an epitaxial Ni film. After in-situ thin film deposition and annealing through the ferroelectric phase transition, interfacial strain transfer from ferroelastic domains in the substrate and inverse magnetostriction in the magnetic thin film introduce a uniaxial in-plane magnetic anisotropy that rotates by $60^{\circ}$ between alternating stripe regions. We show that two types of magnetic domain wall can be initialized in principle. Combining experimental results with micromagnetic simulations we show that a competition between the exchange and magnetostatic energies in these domain walls have a strong influence on the magnetic domain configuration.

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arXiv2021

$60^{\circ}$ and $120^{\circ}$ Domain Walls in Epitaxial BaTiO$_{3}$(111)/Co Multiferroic Heterostructures

We report on domain pattern transfer from a ferroelectric BaTiO$_{\mathrm{3}}$ substrate with a $(111)$-orientation of the surface to an epitaxial Co film grown on a Pd buffer layer. Spatially modulated interfacial strain transfer from ferroelectric/ferroelastic domains and inverse magnetostriction in the ferromagnetic film induce stripe regions with a modulation of the in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy direction. Using spin-polarized low energy electron microscopy, we observe the formation of two distinct anisotropy configurations between stripe regions. Moreover, through application of a magnetic field parallel or perpendicular to these stripes, head-to-head or head-to-tail magnetization configurations are initialized. This results in four distinct magnetic domain wall types associated with different energies and widths, which in turn affects whether domain pattern transfer can be achieved.

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