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Sebastian Wintz

Publications and source records attributed to Sebastian Wintz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Vector-field control and emergent basal-plane anisotropy of magnetic textures in noncentrosymmetric (Fe$_{0.63}$Ni$_{0.3}$Pd$_{0.07}$)$_3$P

(Fe$_{0.63}$Ni$_{0.3}$Pd$_{0.07}$)$_3$P is a room-temperature magnet with $S_4$ symmetry that hosts a rich variety of topological spin textures. Here, we report a combined resonant small-angle x-ray scattering and ptychography study of (Fe$_{0.63}$Ni$_{0.3}$Pd$_{0.07}$)$_3$P in vector magnetic fields over a broad temperature range. We demonstrate deterministic vector-field control of magnetic stripe domains, where in-plane fields continuously rotate their orientation via a transition from a chiral stripe to an achiral fan configuration. Furthermore, at 50 K and below, the stripe orientation becomes metastably pinned and retains its field-trained direction. While the magnitude of the wavevector is nearly isotropic within the basal plane at room temperature, a pronounced temperature evolution of anisotropic interactions emerges upon cooling. In particular, non-trivial anisotropy axes develop at 20-50 K reflecting the combined effects of magnetocrystalline anisotropy, anisotropic exchange, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), whose effective orientation is found to rotate with temperature. These results establish (Fe$_{0.63}$Ni$_{0.3}$Pd$_{0.07}$)$_3$P as a model system for vector-field control of chiral spin textures and reveal a previously unrecognized temperature-driven evolution of the effective DMI landscape in a noncentrosymmetric magnet.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Ultrafast formation of a large dynamic magnetic soliton

Nonlinear magnetization dynamics offers a rich variety of phenomena ranging from bistability to chaos. Here, we report the ultrafast formation of a dynamic magnetic soliton in thin ferrimagnetic garnet films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, driven by the microwave magnetic field of a microstrip antenna. Using time-resolved Brillouin light scattering microscopy and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, we directly track the build-up of the large-angle precession state. The observed soliton is distinct from other nonlinear magnetic excitations in two key aspects: (i) it forms inside the linear spin-wave frequency band, and (ii) it is exceptionally large, reaching tens of microns beyond the antenna. We explain the soliton formation by the self-limiting mechanism upon a positive nonlinear frequency shift and the spatial extent of the near-field of the antenna. At large distances from the drive, the soliton collapses and emits short-wavelength spin waves via almost instantaneous spatial wavenumber conversion. Time-resolved measurements further reveal a small finite delay during soliton formation, while coherent long-range oscillations appear essentially simultaneously over distances up to 40 micrometers. These results establish microwave-driven solitons as a robust nonlinear phenomenon in thin-film garnets and suggest opportunities for fast, nonlocal manipulation of magnetic states and for applications in novel computational schemes.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Scanning through space and time: past, present, and future of time-resolved scanning transmission soft X-ray microscopy

Time-resolved microscopy with the pump-probe protocol is one of the most important techniques for the investigation of dynamical processes at the nanoscale, thanks to the possibility of combining nanometric resolution imaging with sub-nanosecond temporal resolutions. Amongst the ensemble of time-resolved microscopy techniques, time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy has been, since its inception in 2006, extensively utilized for the study of magneto-dynamical processes. In this review, an overview of the concept and experimental implementations of the pump-probe protocol in time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy imaging will be presented together with some examples of recent applications of the technique. Possible future developments aimed at meeting the new opportunities and challenges offered by the upgrade of synchrotrons to diffraction limited lightsources will also be discussed.

physics.ins-det

Stabilizing Magnetic Bubble Domains in Epitaxial 2D Magnet/Topological Insulator Heterostructures through Interfacial Interactions

Epitaxial heterostructures of two-dimensional van der Waals magnets and topological insulators offer a powerful platform for probing interfacial spin interactions that govern magnetic textures in low-dimensional quantum systems, while simultaneously enabling highly efficient, atomically thin spin-orbit-torque memory and computing architectures. Despite this promise, the fundamental role of these interfacial interactions in determining magnetic domain-phase stability remain largely uncharted. Here, we perform scanning transmission X-ray microscopy to image nanoscale magnetic textures in epitaxial Fe3GeTe2 Bi2Te3 heterostructures, enabled by a thermal-release-tape dry transfer process onto X-ray transparent silicon-rich nitride membranes. Under zero-field-cooled conditions, we observe robust bubble domain phases from 75 to 165 K, and across different number of folds of the multilayer Fe3GeTe2 Bi2Te3 heterostructures. This is in stark contrast with exfoliated single-crystal Fe3GeTe2 flakes, where ZFC stripe domains are observed for flakes thicker than 20 nm and no domains have been reported for thin flakes less than 15 nm. First-principles calculations and micromagnetic simulations reveal that interfacial coupling to Bi2Te3 modifies the magnetic anisotropy and introduces interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, shifting the magnetic phase space towards bubble-domain stabilization without field-cooling. Together, our results offer a new strategy for phase-selective control of magnetic domains through interfacial engineering.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Direct observation of propagating spin waves in a spin-Hall nano-oscillator

Constriction-based spin Hall nano-oscillators (SHNOs) show great promise for application as highly tunable microwave sources with straightforward scalability toward large coupled networks. However, details of the magnetization dynamics within SHNOs have thus far not been addressed experimentally, due to the minute time and length scales involved. In this work, we present direct imaging of the magnetization dynamics within a single CoFeB-based SHNO using time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). Our measurements reveal that the magnon amplitude is the strongest at the two constriction edges, with a pronounced assymetry favoring one edge, and that emitted spin waves exhibit strongly anisotropic propagation. Micromagnetic simulations suggest that grain boundaries and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) play a key role in both effects. Furthermore, the magnetodynamics changed during the measurement, indicating that the CoFeB/MgO interface may be more susceptible to X-ray induced modifications than previously recognized, challenging its presumed radiation hardness.

cond-mat.mes-hall

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.

cond-mat.mes-hall

A fluctuation-free pathway for a topological magnetic phase transition

Topological magnetic textures are particle-like spin configurations stabilized by competing interactions. Their formation is commonly attributed to fluctuation-driven, first-order nucleation processes requiring activation over a topological energy barrier. Here, we demonstrate an alternative barrier- and fluctuation-free pathway for nucleating topological magnetic textures, triggered in our experiments by an excitation-induced spin reorientation transition. By combining x-ray imaging, scattering and micromagnetic simulations, we show that the system follows a deterministic cascade of symmetry-breaking phase transitions after excitation. First, the system undergoes a second-order phase transition from a homogeneous state to weak stripe domains, then a first-order transition to topologically trivial bubbles, and finally a topological switching event into skyrmionic textures. Through simulations, we generalize our findings and demonstrate that this pathway is active in a vast range of low-anisotropy materials. This previously unrecognized, spontaneous transition pathway suggests strategies for rapid, low-energy generation of topological spin textures and points to a general role of intrinsic modulational instabilities in phase transitions beyond magnetism.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Picosecond localization dynamics following ultrafast nanoscale magnetic switching

Ultrashort laser pulses provide the fastest known way to switch magnetic order. Such excitation commonly creates nanometer-scale domains, even after homogeneous illumination when the position of nucleated domains is not externally defined. However, the physics of domain localization during such ultrafast phase transitions remains unresolved. Here, we use shot-resolved pump-probe resonant x-ray scattering together with a material featuring a periodically modulated magnetic anisotropy landscape to track, in real time, the laser-driven nucleation and localization of nanometer-scale spin textures. We find that nucleation and localization are two distinct processes. Nucleation occurs homogeneously via fluctuations at early times, whereas spatially periodic structures emerge only later and, under suitable conditions, localize in less than one nanosecond. Real-space simulations show that this localization is governed by strong lateral variations in spin-texture lifetimes. Our results demonstrate that ultrafast phase-transition dynamics fundamentally differ from conventional transitions, yet still can be controlled through moderate nanometer-scale tailoring of the energy landscape.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Supersampled scanning transmission X-ray microscopy for high-resolution vibration-independent time-resolved imaging

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) is a nanoscale imaging technique that can utilize several powerful contrast mechanisms for the quantitative mapping of chemical and physical materials properties. Spatial resolutions down to 7~nm at the soft X-ray energy range have been demonstrated. A limiting factor for high-resolution STXM imaging is given by the positioning precision of the sample with respect to the focusing optic, with the current state-of-the-art leading to significant overheads, especially at low pixel dwell times, and being vulnerable to unavoidable external vibrations sources. In this work, we present a method, called supersampled scanning microscopy, that allows for a significant reduction of overhead times while simultaneously removing the effects of vibrational noise by sampling the position of the sample at a rate significantly higher than the vibration spectrum and reconstructing the sample transmission image from the recorded list of positions and detector counts. We demonstrate the performance of the technique with a set of proof-of-concept high-resolution imaging experiments.

physics.ins-det

Nucleation of magnetic skyrmions on curvilinear surfaces using local magnetic fields

Magnetic skyrmions stabilized by interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI) are promising candidates for applications in memory, logic, and neuromorphic computing. Beyond planar films, theoretical studies predict that curvature can influence skyrmion stability by introducing effective chiral interactions. Here, we investigate skyrmion formation on self-assembled polystyrene particles coated with Pt/Co/Ta multilayers by magnetron sputtering. Vibrating sample magnetometry reveals clear differences in the magnetic reversal behavior of the curvilinear film compared to that of the planar counterpart. Using non-invasive imaging methods such as scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and high-sensitivity in-vacuum magnetic force microscopy (MFM) with low moment magnetic tipcs, we observe a maze domain pattern for the planar films while the curvilinear film reveals three-dimensional spiraling stripe states. By employing a conventional MFM operating under ambient conditions requiring a tip with a higher magnetic moment, we demonstrate that these stripe states can rupture into metastable skyrmions located at the top of the spherical particles by applying consecutive scans. Our results demonstrate that curvilinear films offer an accessible platform for stabilizing single skyrmions using local magnetic field stimuli, opening pathways to study the interplay between interfacial and curvature-induced DMIs and enabling controlled skyrmion writing on three-dimensional magnetic architectures.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Ultrafast propagation of magnon-polaritons

The manipulation of magnetization lies at the heart of spintronic and magnonic technologies, with the ultimate performance of such systems limited by the velocity at which magnetic excitations can propagate. Here, we demonstrate ultrafast propagation of magnon-polaritons-hybrid quasiparticles arising from the coupling between spin waves and electromagnetic fields in thin pure, bismuth-, and gallium substituted yttrium iron garnet (YIG, Bi:YIG and Ga:YIG) films. Using time- and phase-resolved Brillouin light scattering microscopy and time-resolved scanning transmission microscopy, we show that magnon-polaritons can propagate faster than 100 km/s, nearly three orders of magnitude more than conventional spin waves, and can be observed at distances exceeding 40 micrometers in 20 nm thick films. Analytical modeling based on retarded Maxwell equations and Polder tensor formalism confirms the hybridized nature of the excitations and captures the nontrivial dispersion and attenuation profiles. Notably, the magnon-polaritons maintain high initial magnetization amplitudes and long decay lengths, enabling ultrafast manipulation of the magnetization far away from the excitation source. We show, that they can move domain walls or stabilize nonlinear magnetization processes. The unprecedentedly high propagation velocities make magnon-polaritons promising candidates for high-speed information transfer in future spin-based computing architectures, potentially overcoming long-standing group delay bottlenecks in magnonic logic circuits.

physics.app-ph

Interlinking helical spin textures in nanopatterned chiral magnets

Nanoscale topologically non-trivial magnetization configurations generate significant interest due to both the fundamental properties of their knotted structures and their potential applications in ultra-efficient computing devices. While such textures have been widely studied in two dimensions, three-dimensional (3D) systems can yield more complex configurations, resulting in richer topologies and dynamic behaviors. However, reliably nucleating these 3D textures has proven challenging, and so far, 3D configurations such as vortex rings and hopfions can often only be observed forming spontaneously in relatively uncontrolled manners. Here, we demonstrate that through the 3D nanopatterning of chiral single crystal helimagnets into nano-tori, the controlled formation of a magnetic double helix can be achieved. This surface-localized topological state is stabilized by the interplay of intrinsic exchange interactions of the single crystal with the extrinsic emergent effects of the patterned geometry. These double helices host magnetic defects akin to supercoiling in circular DNA and climbing vines. We expect this study to serve as a foundation for future research combining single crystal systems with 3D nanopatterning, offering a new degree of control over emergent phenomena in nanoscale magnets and wider quantum material systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall

X-ray imaging of antiferromagnetic octupole domains in Mn$_3$Sn

Novel antiferromagnets with broken time reversal symmetry (TRS) have launched a new direction in spintronics research, combining the advantageous dynamical properties of conventional antiferromagnets with the controllability typically associated with ferromagnets. However, antiferromagnetic domains are notoriously challenging to image in real-space. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) offers a route to overcome this difficulty: XMCD contrast may be finite in TRS-breaking antiferromagnets with an appropriate magnetic space group. Here, we exploit this to image the octupole domains in a focused ion beam-fabricated device of the non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn$_3$Sn. Using scanning transmission x-ray microscopy, we spatially resolve the weak pre-edge XMCD contrast (of 0.2%) that is sensitive to $T_z$, achieving a contrast resolution better than 0.02%. We observe hysteretic switching of the octupole order through both the XMCD contrast and the corresponding anomalous Hall effect within the same device. These results confirm the bulk nature of this contrast, and establish XMCD-based microscopy as a powerful real space imaging method for TRS-breaking antiferromagnets, including altermagnets, enabling future studies of their dynamics, switching, and symmetry-tunable phenomena.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Antiferromagnetic Skyrmion Scattering Revealed by Direct Time-Resolved Imaging of Collective Dynamics

Scattering analysis offers a fundamental route to revealing particle interactions with direct implications for device technologies relying on ensembles of particles such as magnetic skyrmions. Here, we directly visualize, in real time, the nanosecond current-driven dynamics of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) skyrmion lattice using element-specific pump-probe X-ray microscopy. By tuning spin-orbit torque relative to local pinning potentials, we reveal two regimes: incoherent flow, where mobile skyrmions scatter from pinned ones, inducing recoil dynamics with 3-20 ns relaxation, and coherent flow, where the lattice translates uniformly. Quantification of the reproducible post-pulse relaxation trajectories via an inverse analyis method based on the Thiele equation yields the nanoscale AFM skyrmion-skyrmion scattering potential, which decays exponentially with a range of 30 nm, in full agreement with micromagnetic simulations. At higher current densities, the lattice exhibits coherent motion free from detectable Hall and inertial effects or dynamical deformation, enabling robust GHz operation. These findings establish a quantitative framework for AFM skyrmion interactions and demonstrate deterministic control of their collective dynamics over billions of cycles even in the incoherent flow regime, thereby paving the way for multi-skyrmion spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Reconfigurable three dimensional magnetic nanoarchitectures

Three-dimensional (3D) nanomagnetism is a rapidly developing field within magnetic materials research, where exploiting the third dimension unlocks opportunities for innovative applications in areas such as sensing, data storage, and neuromorphic computing. Among various fabrication techniques, focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) offers high flexibility in creating complex 3D nanostructures with sub-100 nm resolution. A key challenge in the development of 3D nanomagnets is the ability to locally control the magnetic configuration, which is essential to achieve desired functionalities. In this work, the magnetization reversal mechanism of a three-dimensional nanoarchitecture fabricated using focused electron beam-induced deposition is investigated by combining direct observation via scanning transmission X-ray microscopy with finite element micromagnetic simulations. In particular, our investigation shows that the magnetization of the components of a three-dimensional Co3 Fe tetrapod can be reversed individually and sequentially. Finally, it is demonstrated that complete control and reconfigurability of the system can be achieved by tuning the direction of the applied magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Altermagnetic nanotextures revealed in bulk MnTe

With many candidate altermagnetic materials, MnTe has emerged as one of the most promising systems, with growing experimental evidence for altermagnetic phenomena. So far, the majority of measurements have been performed on thin-films, or have involved surface measurements. However, the question of altermagnetic order in the bulk system - in the absence of substrate or surface effects - remains. Here we show evidence for bulk altermagnetism in single crystal MnTe, through spectroscopic X-ray microscopy. By performing nanoscale X-ray magnetic circular dichroic (XMCD) imaging in transmission on a 200 nm thick lamella, we observe domains and magnetic textures with a spectroscopic signature characteristic of altermagnetic order, thereby confirming the intrinsic nature of altermagnetism in MnTe. Quantitative analysis of the XMCD signal reveals an excellent agreement with predicted signals, establishing that the altermagnetic order exists throughout the thickness of the lamella and confirming the intrinsic, bulk nature of the state. With these results, we demonstrate that transmission XMCD spectroscopic imaging is a robust, quantitative technique to probe altermagnetic order, providing a means to probe individual altermagnetic domains within complex configurations. This ability to investigate, and characterise altermagnetic order in bulk crystals represents an important tool for the exploration of altermagnetism across a wide range of candidate materials, of key importance for the development of future technologies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Observation of a non-reciprocal skyrmion Hall effect of hybrid chiral skyrmion tubes in synthetic antiferromagnetic multilayers

A hybrid chiral skyrmion tube is a well-known example of a 3D topological spin texture, exhibiting an intriguing chirality transition along the thickness direction. This transition progresses from left-handed to right-handed N\'eel-type chirality, passing through a Bloch-type intermediate state. Such an exotic spin configuration potentially exhibits distinctly different dynamics from that of the common skyrmion tube that exhibits a homogeneous chirality; yet these dynamics have not been ascertained so far. Here we reveal the distinct features of current-induced dynamics that result from the hybrid chiral skyrmion tube structure in synthetic antiferromagnetic (SyAFM) multilayers. Strikingly, the SyAFM hybrid chiral skyrmion tubes exhibit a non-reciprocal skyrmion Hall effect in the flow regime. The non-reciprocity can even be tuned by the degree of magnetic compensation in the SyAFM systems. Our theoretical modeling qualitatively corroborates that the non-reciprocity stems from the dynamic oscillation of skyrmion helicity during its current-induced motion. The findings highlight the critical role of the internal degrees of freedom of these complex skyrmion tubes for their current-induced dynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall

The Effect of Ga-Ion Irradiation on Sub-Micron-Wavelength Spin Waves in Yttrium-Iron-Garnet Films

We investigate the effect of focused-ion-beam (FIB) irradiation on spin waves with sub-micron wavelengths in Yttrium-Iron-Garnet (YIG) films. Time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray (TR-STXM) microscopy was used to image the spin waves in irradiated regions and deduce corresponding changes in the magnetic parameters of the film. We find that the changes of Ga$^+$ irradiation can be understood by assuming a few percent change in the effective magnetization $M_\mathrm{eff}$ of the film due to a trade-off between changes in anisotropy and effective film thickness. Our results demonstrate that FIB irradiation can be used to locally alter the dispersion relation and the effective refractive index $n_\textrm{eff}$ of the film, even for submicron wavelengths. To achieve the same change in $n_\textrm{eff}$ for shorter wavelengths, a higher dose is required, but no significant deterioration of spin wave propagation length in the irradiated regions was observed, even at the highest applied doses.

physics.app-ph