arXiv subjects

Karin Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to Karin Garcia.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Néel-type skyrmions and their current-induced motion in van der Waals ferromagnet-based heterostructures

Since the discovery of ferromagnetic two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals, significant interest on such 2D magnets has emerged, inspired by their appealing properties and integration with other 2D family for unique heterostructures. In known 2D magnets, spin-orbit coupling (SOC) stabilizes perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Such a strong SOC could also lift the chiral degeneracy, leading to the formation of topological magnetic textures such as skyrmions through the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Here, we report the experimental observation of Néel-type chiral magnetic skyrmions and their lattice (SkX) formation in a vdW ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2 (FGT). We demonstrate the ability to drive individual skyrmion by short current pulses along a vdW heterostructure, FGT/h-BN, as highly required for any skyrmion-based spintronic device. Using first principle calculations supported by experiments, we unveil the origin of DMI being the interfaces with oxides, which then allows us to engineer vdW heterostructures for desired chiral states. Our finding opens the door to topological spin textures in the 2D vdW magnet and their potential device application.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Very large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in two-dimensional Janus manganese dichalcogenides and its application to realize skyrmion states

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), which only exists in noncentrosymmetric systems, is responsible for the formation of exotic chiral magnetic states. The absence of DMI in most two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials is due to their intrinsic inversion symmetry. Here, using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that significant DMI can be obtained in a series of Janus monolayers of manganese dichalcogenides MnXY in which the difference between X and Y on the opposites sides of Mn breaks the inversion symmetry. In particular, the DMI amplitudes of MnSeTe and MnSTe are comparable to those of state-of-the-art ferromagnet/heavy metal (FM/HM) heterostructures. In addition, by performing Monte Carlo simulations, we find that at low temperatures the ground states of the MnSeTe and MnSTe monolayers can transform from ferromagnetic states with worm-like magnetic domains into the skyrmion states by applying external magnetic field. At increasing temperature, the skyrmion states starts fluctuating above 50 K before an evolution to a completely disordered structure at higher temperature. The present results pave the way for new device concepts utilizing chiral magnetic structures in specially designed 2D ferromagnetic materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Effective field analysis using the full angular spin-orbit torque magnetometry dependence

Spin-orbit torques promise ultra-efficient magnetization switching used for advanced devices based on emergent quasi-particles such as domain walls and skyrmions. Recently, the spin structure dynamics, materials and systems with tailored spin-orbit torques are being developed. A method, which allows one to detect the acting torques in a given system as a function of the magnetization direction is the torque-magnetometry method based on a higher harmonics analysis of the anomalous Hall-effect. Here we show that the effective fields acting on magnetic domain walls that govern the efficiency of their dynamics require a sophisticated analysis taking into account the full angular dependence of the torques. Using a 1-D model we compared the spin orbit torque efficiencies by depinning measurements and spin torque magnetometry. We show that the effective fields can be accurately determined and we find good agreement. Thus our method allows us now to rapidly screen materials and predict the resulting quasi-particle dynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Electrical signature of individual magnetic skyrmions in multilayered systems

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected whirling spin textures that can be stabilized in magnetic materials in which a chiral interaction is present. Their limited size together with their robustness against the external perturbations promote them as the ultimate magnetic storage bit in a novel generation of memory and logic devices. Despite many examples of the signature of magnetic skyrmions in the electrical signal, only low temperature measurements, mainly in magnetic materials with B20 crystal structure, have demonstrated the skyrmions contribution to the electrical transport properties. Using the combination of Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) and Hall resistivity measurements, we demonstrate the electrical detection of sub-100 nm skyrmions in multilayered thin film at room temperature (RT). We furthermore analyse the room temperature Hall signal of a single skyrmion which contribution is mainly dominated by anomalous Hall effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Room-temperature current-induced generation and motion of sub-100nm skyrmions

Magnetic skyrmions are nanoscale windings of the spin configuration that hold great promise for technology due to their topology-related properties and extremely reduced sizes. After the recent observation at room temperature of sub-100 nm skyrmions stabilized by interfacial chiral interaction in magnetic multilayers, several pending questions remain to be solved, notably about the means to nucleate individual compact skyrmions or the exact nature of their motion. In this study, a method leading to the formation of magnetic skyrmions in a micrometer-sized nanotrack using homogeneous current injection is evidenced. Spin-transfer-induced motion of these small electricalcurrent-generated skyrmions is then demonstrated and the role of the out-of-plane magnetic field in the stabilization of the moving skyrmions is also analysed. The results of these experimental observations of spin torque induced motion are compared to micromagnetic simulations reproducing a granular type, non-uniform magnetic multilayer, in order to address the particularly important role of the magnetic inhomogeneities on the current-induced motion of sub-100 nm skyrmions, for which the material grains size is comparable to the skyrmion diameter.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Universal domain wall dynamics under electric field in Ta/CoFeB/MgO devices with perpendicular anisotropy

Electric field effects in ferromagnetic/oxide dielectric structures provide a new route to control domain wall (DW) dynamics with low power dissipation. However, electric field effects on DW velocities have only been observed so far in the creep regime where DW velocities are low due to strong interactions with pinning sites. Here, we show gate voltage modulation of DW velocities ranging from the creep to the flow regime in Ta/Co40Fe40B20/MgO/TiO2 structures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We demonstrate a universal description of the role of applied electric fields in the various pinning dependent regimes by taking into account an effective magnetic field being linear with the electric field. In addition, the electric field effect is found to change sign in the Walker regime. Our work opens new opportunities for the study and optimization of electric field effect at ferromagnetic metal/insulator interfaces.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Spin-orbit torques for current parallel and perpendicular to a domain wall

We report field- and current-induced domain wall (DW) depinning experiments in Ta/Co20Fe60B20/MgO nanowires through a Hall cross geometry. While purely field-induced depinning shows no angular dependence on in-plane fields, the effect of the current depends crucially on the internal DW structure, which we manipulate by an external magnetic in-plane field. We show for the first time depinning measurements for a current sent parallel to the DW and compare its depinning efficiency with the conventional case of current flowing perpendicularly to the DW. We find that the maximum efficiency is similar for both current directions within the error bars, which is in line with a dominating damping-like spin-orbit torque (SOT) and indicates that no large additional torques arise for currents parallel to the DW. Finally, we find a varying dependence of the maximum depinning efficiency angle for different DWs and pinning levels. This emphasizes the importance of our full angular scans compared to previously used measurements for just two field directions (parallel and perpendicular to the DW) and shows the sensitivity of the spin-orbit torque to the precise DW structure and pinning sites.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Skyrmions at room temperature : From magnetic thin films to magnetic multilayers

Facing the ever-growing demand for data storage will most probably require a new paradigm. Magnetic skyrmions are anticipated to solve this issue as they are arguably the smallest spin textures in magnetic thin films in nature. We designed cobalt-based multilayered thin films where the cobalt layer is sandwiched between two heavy metals providing additive interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, which reach about 2 mJ/m2 in the case of the Ir/Co/Pt multilayers. Using a magnetization-sensitive scanning x-ray transmission microscopy technique, we imaged magnetic bubble-like domains in these multilayers. The study of their behavir in magnetic field allows us to conclude that they are actually magnetic skyrmions stabilized by the Dzyaloshinsskii-Moriya interaction. This discoevry of stable skyrmions at room temperature in a technologically relevant material opens the way for device applications in a near future.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗