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Vincent Cros

Publications and source records attributed to Vincent Cros.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Apparent Zero-Momentum Signals from Magnon--Magnon Interference in Near-Field Spin-Wave Imaging

Spatially resolved measurements of coherent waves are commonly read as direct maps of the underlying eigenmode spectrum. We show that this interpretation fails in near-field imaging of multimode spin-wave transport. Scanning nitrogen-vacancy magnetometry of yttrium iron garnet reveals pronounced apparent low-wave-vector signals at frequencies for which no propagating spin-wave mode exists. By tuning the probe-sample distance and modeling the anisotropic near-field response, we identify their origin as coherent mixing between directly excited Damon-Eshbach waves and defect- or transducer-scattered spin waves: the measured signal acquires spatial Fourier components at the difference wave vector $\mathbf{k}_{\mathrm{exc}}-\mathbf{k}_{\mathrm{scat}}$, which can vanish even though both constituent waves carry finite momentum. These results establish that near-field spectra of coherent excitations are interferometric field spectra rather than eigenmode maps, providing both a caution and a framework for identifying scattering processes in nanoscale magnonic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

Ultrafast internal dynamics of chiral domain walls probed by time-resolved XRMS

We measure picosecond dynamics of labyrinthine stripe domains with chiral N\'eel-type domain walls using time-resolved x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS). At the stripe-domain wavevector, the helicity-summed signal shows ultrafast demagnetization, recovery, and a weak oscillatory contribution that we identify as a signature of laser-launched coherent surface phonons. In contrast, the dichroic signal, which is sensitive to the in-plane magnetization inside the N\'eel walls, shows a strong oscillatory response whose frequency decreases with increasing pump fluence. We attribute this softening to pump-induced changes in the effective anisotropy and saturation magnetization, which modify the restoring field of an internal domain-wall mode. Time-resolved XRMS thus isolates wall-specific dynamics and provides access to internal domain-wall motion in disordered stripe textures on picosecond time scales.

physics.optics↗
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.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

3D tomographic imaging of skyrmionic cocoons using HERALDO

Uncovering the rich and intricate characteristics of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic textures is essential for functional materials such as magnetic multilayers, where the delicate balance of various magnetic interactions leads to complex 3D spin arrangements. Among these textures, skyrmionic cocoons-tubular 3D magnetic structures characterized by a closed magnetization surface wrapping around a core-have emerged as particularly intriguing. Stabilized by competing magnetic interactions, these textures reside within a fraction of the thickness of the magnetic material and exhibit a typical lateral size of approximately 100 nm. Here, we present a vector tomographic reconstruction of the 3D magnetization in aperiodic Pt/Co/Al chiral multilayers, where skyrmionic cocoons have been recently reported. Using soft X-ray Holography with Extended Reference by Autocorrelation Linear Differential Operator (HERALDO), we acquire tomographic projections of the magnetic configuration and reconstruct the full 3D magnetization vector field with a spatial resolution of approximately 30 nm, as determined by Fourier shell correlation (FSC). This resolution allows us to observe critical features of the cocoons, such as their vertical misalignment and their overall chirality. Our findings demonstrate that HERALDO-based vector tomography is a powerful approach for revealing the internal structure and vertical extent of these nanoscale magnetic textures, offering new experimental insights into their intrinsic behavior.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2025

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↗
arXiv2025

Effects of antiferromagnetic coupling and pinning on domain wall dynamics in synthetic ferrimagnets

Domain wall (DW) dynamics in antiferromagnetic (AFM) systems offer the advantages over their ferromagnetic counterparts of having faster and more energy efficient manipulation due to the absence of net magnetization, leading to reduced magnetic crosstalk and improved performance in spintronic devices. A comprehensive analysis of DW dynamics across regimes such as creep, depinning, and flow is well established in ferromagnetic systems but remains lacking in AFM-coupled systems. In this study, we explore the nature of DW dynamics in synthetic ferrimagnetic multilayers composed of Pt|Co|Tb|Al for different Tb thickness, focusing on the underlying pinning parameters, and on the different regimes of DW dynamics driven by spin-orbit torques (SOTs). We find that due to the AFM coupling between Co and Tb, the magnetic moment of Tb increases with Tb thickness resulting in a reduced saturation magnetization and an enhanced depinning field. The DW disorder interaction is found to vary weakly with the AFM coupling between Co and Tb, while the complete withdrawal of the Tb layer strongly increases the anisotropy and the DW pinning. Furthermore, we propose a novel approach to measure effective SOTs by comparing depinning transitions in current and field-induced DW motion. This research reveals new insights into DW dynamics in coupled AFM systems, highlighting enhancements in mobility through optimized SOTs and pinning landscapes.

cond-mat.other↗
arXiv2024

Large Chiral Orbital Texture and Orbital Edelstein Effect in Co/Al Heterostructure

Recent experiments by S. Krishnia et al., Nano Lett. 23, 6785 (2023) reported an unprecedentedly large enhancement of torques upon inserting thin Al layer in Co/Pt heterostructure that suggested the presence of a Rashba-like interaction at the metallic Co/Al interface. Based on first-principles calculations, we reveal the emergence of a large helical orbital texture in reciprocal space at the interfacial Co layer, whose origin is attributed to the orbital Rashba effect due to the formation of the surface states at the Co/Al interface and where spin-orbit coupling is found to produce smaller contributions with a higher-order winding of the orbital momentum. Our results unveil that the orbital texture gives rise to a non-equilibrium orbital accumulation producing large current-induced torques, thus providing an essential theoretical background for the experimental data and advancing the use of orbital transport phenomena in all-metallic magnetic systems with light elements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2024

Interfacial spin-orbitronic effects controlled with different oxidation levels at the Co|Al interface

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions are key interactions in modern spintronics. These interactions are thought to be dominated by the oxidation of the Co|Al interface in the archetypal Platinum-Cobalt-Aluminum oxide system. Here, we observe a double sign change in the anisotropy and about threefold variation in interfacial chiral interaction, influenced not only by the oxidation, but also by the metallic Al thickness. Contrary to previous assumptions about negligible spin-orbit effects at light metal interfaces, we not only observe strong PMA with fully oxidized Al, decreasing and turning negative (in-plane) with less oxygen at the Co|Al interface, we also observe that the magnetic anisotropy reverts to positive (out-of-plane) values at fully metallic Co|Al interface. These findings suggest modification in Co d band via Co|Al orbital hybridization, an effect supported by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ab initio theory calculations, highlighting the key impact of strain on interfacial mechanisms at fully metallic Co|Al interface.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2023

Observation by SANS and PNR of pure N\'eel-type domain wall profiles and skyrmion suppression below room temperature in magnetic [Pt/CoFeB/Ru]$_{10}$ multilayers

We report investigations of the magnetic textures in periodic [Pt(1 nm)/(CoFeB(0.8 nm)/Ru(1.4 nm)]$_{10}$ multilayers using polarised neutron reflectometry (PNR) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The multilayers are known to host skyrmions stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions induced by broken inversion symmetry and spin-orbit coupling at the asymmetric interfaces. From depth-dependent PNR measurements, we observe well-defined structural features, and obtain the layer-resolved magnetization profiles. The in-plane magnetization of the CoFeB layers calculated from fitting of the PNR profiles is found to be in excellent agreement with magnetometry data. Using SANS as a bulk probe of the entire multilayer, we observe long-period magnetic stripe domains and skyrmion ensembles with full orientational disorder at room temperature. No sign of skyrmions is found below 250\,K, which we suggest is due to an increase of a effective magnetic anisotropy in the CoFeB layer on cooling that suppresses skyrmion stability. Using polarised SANS at room temperature, we prove the existence of pure N\'eel-type windings in both stripe domain and skyrmion regimes. No Bloch-type winding admixture, i.e. an indication for hybrid windings, is detected within the measurement sensitivity, in good agreement with expectations according to our micromagnetic modelling of the multilayers. Our findings using neutron techniques offer valuable microscopic insights into the rich magnetic behavior of skyrmion-hosting multilayers, which are essential for the advancement of future skyrmion-based spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2023

Neuromorphic weighted sums with magnetic skyrmions

Integrating magnetic skyrmions into neuromorphic computing could help improve hardware efficiency and computational power. However, developing a scalable implementation of the weighted sum of neuron signals - a core operation in neural networks - has remained a challenge. Here, we show that weighted sum operations can be performed in a compact, biologically-inspired manner by using the non-volatile and particle-like characteristics of magnetic skyrmions that make them easily countable and summable. The skyrmions are electrically generated in numbers proportional to an input with an efficiency given by a non-volatile weight. The chiral particles are then directed using localized current injections to a location where their presence is quantified through non-perturbative electrical measurements. Our experimental demonstration, which currently has two inputs, can be scaled to accommodate multiple inputs and outputs using a crossbar array design, potentially nearing the energy efficiency observed in biological systems.

cs.ET↗
arXiv2023

Control of the magnetic anisotropy in multi-repeat Pt/Co/Al heterostructures using magneto-ionic gating

Controlling magnetic properties through the application of an electric field is a significant challenge in modern nanomagnetism. In this study, we investigate the magneto-ionic control of magnetic anisotropy in the topmost Co layer in Ta/Pt/[Co/Al/Pt]$_n$/Co/Al/AlO$_\text{x}$ multilayer stacks comprising $n +1$ Co layers and its impact on the magnetic properties of the multilayers. We demonstrate that the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be reversibly quenched through gate-driven oxidation of the intermediary Al layer between Co and AlO$_\text{x}$, enabling dynamic control of the magnetic layers contributing to the out-of-plane remanence - varying between $n$ and $n +1$. For multilayer configurations with $n = 2$ and $n = 4$, we observe reversible and non-volatile additions of 1/3 and 1/5, respectively, to the anomalous Hall effect amplitude based on the applied gate voltage. Magnetic imaging reveals that the gate-induced spin-reorientation transition occurs through the propagation of a single 90$^{\circ}$ magnetic domain wall separating the perpendicular and in-plane anisotropy states. In the 5-repetition multilayer, the modification leads to a doubling of the period of the magnetic domains at remanence. These results demonstrate that the magneto-ionic control of the anisotropy of a single magnetic layer can be used to control the magnetic properties of coupled multilayer systems, extending beyond the gating effects on a single magnetic layer.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2023

Driving skyrmions in flow regime in synthetic ferrimagnets

Despite significant advances in the last decade regarding the room temperature stabilization of skyrmions or their current induced dynamics, the impact of local material inhomogeneities still remains an important issue that impedes to reach the regime of steady state motion of these spin textures. Here, we study the spin-torque driven motion of skyrmions in synthetic ferrimagnetic multilayers with the aim of achieving high mobility and reduced skyrmion Hall effect. We consider Pt|Co|Tb multilayers of various thicknesses with antiferromagnetic coupling between the Co and Tb magnetization. The increase of Tb thickness in the multilayers allows to reduce the total magnetic moment and increases the spin-orbit torques allowing to reach velocities up to 400 m.s-1 for skyrmions with diameters of about 160 nm. We demonstrate that due to reduced skyrmion Hall effect, combined with the edge repulsion of the magnetic track making the skyrmions moving along the track without any transverse deflection. Further, by comparing the field-induced domain wall motion and current-induced skyrmion motion, we demonstrate that the skyrmions at the largest current densities present all the characteristics of a dynamical flow regime.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2023

True amplification of spin waves in magnonic nano-waveguides

Magnonic nano-devices exploit magnons -- quanta of spin waves -- to transmit and process information within a single integrated platform that has the potential to outperform traditional semiconductor-based electronics for low power applications. The main missing cornerstone of this information nanotechnology is an efficient scheme for the direct amplification of propagating spin waves. The recent discovery of spin-orbit torque provided an elegant mechanism for propagation losses compensation. While partial compensation of the spin-wave damping has allowed for spin-wave signal modulation, true amplification - the exponential increase in the spin-wave intensity during propagation - has so far remained elusive. Here we evidence the operating conditions to achieve unambiguous amplification using clocked nanoseconds-long spin-orbit torque pulses in sub-micrometer wide magnonic waveguides, where the effective magnetization has been engineered to be close to zero to suppress the detrimental magnon-magnon scattering. As a result, we achieve an exponential increase in the intensity of propagating spin waves up to 500 % at a propagation distance of several micrometers. These results pave the way towards the implementation of energy efficient, cascadable magnonic architectures for wave-based information processing and complex on-chip computation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2023

Temperature-independent ferromagnetic resonance shift in Bi-doped YIG garnets through magnetic anisotropy tuning

Thin garnet films are becoming central for magnon-spintronics and spin-orbitronics devices as they show versatile magnetic properties together with low magnetic losses. These fields would benefit from materials in which heat does not affect the magnetization dynamics, an effect known as the non-linear thermal frequency shift. In this study, low damping Bi substituted Iron garnet (Bi:YIG) ultra-thin films have been grown using Pulsed Laser Deposition. Through a fine tuning of the growth parameters, the precise control of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy allows to achieve a full compensation of the dipolar magnetic anisotropy. Strikingly, once the growth conditions are optimized, varying the growth temperature from 405 {\deg}C to 475 {\deg}C as the only tuning parameter induces the easy-axis to go from out-of-plane to in-plane. For films that are close to the dipolar compensation, Ferromagnetic Resonance measurements yield an effective magnetization $\mu _{0}M_{eff} (T)$ that has almost no temperature dependence over a large temperature range (260 K to 400 K) resulting in an anisotropy temperature exponent of 2. These findings put Bi:YIG system among the very few materials in which the temperature dependence of the magnetic anisotropy varies at the same rate than the saturation magnetization. This interesting behavior is ascribed phenomenologically to the sizable orbital moment of $Bi^{3+}$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2023

Complete identification of spin-wave eigenmodes excited by parametric pumping in YIG microdisks

We present the parametric excitation of spin-wave modes in YIG micro-disks via parallel pumping. Their spectroscopy is performed using magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM), while their spatial profiles are determined by micro-focus Brillouin light scattering (BLS). We observe that almost all the fundamental eigenmodes of an in-plane magnetized YIG micro-disk, calculated using a micromagnetic eigenmode solver, can be excited using the parallel pumping scheme, as opposed to the transverse one. The comparison between the MRFM and BLS data on one side, and the simulations on the other side, provides the complete spectroscopic labeling of over 40 parametrically excited modes. Our findings could be promising for spin-wave-based computation schemes, in which the amplitudes of a large number of spin-wave modes have to be controlled.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2023

Compensation of anisotropy in spin-Hall devices for neuromorphic applications

Spintronic nano-oscillators with reduced non-linearity could offer key benefits for realizing neuromorphic applications such as spike-based neurons and frequency multiplexing in neural networks. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the reduction in non-linearity of a spin-Hall nano-oscillator (SHNO) by compensation of its effective magnetic anisotropy. The study involves optimization of Co/Ni multilayer growth to achieve the compensation, followed by spin diode measurements on patterned microstrips to quantify their anisotropy. The relation between the second ($H_{k2}$ = 0.47 mT) and the first order ($H_{k1}^{eff}$ = $-$0.8 mT) anisotropy fields reveals the existence of an easy cone, thereby validating the presence of compensation. Furthermore, we demonstrate a synapse based on the compensated spin diode which has a fixed frequency when the input power is varied. We then study the current-induced auto-oscillation properties of SHNOs on compensated films by patterning nano-constrictions of widths 200 and 100 nm. The invariance of the resonance frequency and linewidth of the compensated SHNO with applied dc current indicates the absence of non-linearity. This independence is maintained irrespective of the applied external fields and its orientations. The compensated SHNO obtained has a linewidth of 1.1 MHz and a peak output power of up to 1 pW/MHz emulating a nano-neuron with a low linewidth and a fixed frequency.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2022

Densely packed skyrmions stabilized at zero magnetic field by indirect exchange coupling in multilayers

Room-temperature stabilization of skyrmions in magnetic multilayered systems is the result of a fine balance between different magnetic interactions namely symmetric and antisymmetric exchange, dipolar, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy as well as, in most cases, Zeeman through an applied external field. Such field-driven stabilization approach is not compatible with most of the anticipated skyrmion based applications, e.g. skyrmion memories, logic or neuromorphic computing which motivates a reduction or a cancellation of field requirements. Here we present a method to stabilize at room-temperature and zero-field, a densely packed skyrmion phase in ferromagnetic multilayers with moderate number of repetitions. To this aim, we finely tune the multilayer parameters to stabilize a dense skyrmion phase. Then, relying on the interlayer electronic coupling to an adjacent bias magnetic layer with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and uniform magnetization, we demonstrate the stabilization of sub-60 nm diameter skyrmion at zero-field with adjustable skyrmion density.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2022

Non-local magnon transconductance in extended magnetic insulating films.\\ Part I: spin diode effect

This review provides a comprehensive study of the nonlinear transport properties of magnons, which are electrically emitted or absorbed inside extended YIG films by spin transfer effects via a YIG$\vert$Pt interface. Our purpose is to experimentally elucidate the pertinent picture behind the asymmetric electrical variation of the magnon transconductance analogous to an electric diode. The feature is rooted in the variation of the density of low-lying spin excitations via an electrical shift of the magnon chemical potential. As the intensity of the spin transfer increases in the forward direction (regime of magnon emission), the transport properties of low-energy magnon go through 3 distinct regimes: \textit{i)} at low currents, where the spin current is a linear function of the electrical current, the spin transport is ballistic and set by the film thickness; \textit{ii)} for amplitudes of the order of the damping compensation threshold, it switches to a highly correlated regime limited by magnon-magnon relaxation process and marked by a saturation of the magnon transconductance. Here the main bias, that controls the magnon density, are thermal fluctuations beneath the emitter. \textit{iii)} As the temperature under the emitter approaches the Curie temperature, scattering with high-energy magnons dominates, leading to diffusive transport. We note that such sequence of transport regimes bears analogy with electron hydrodynamic transport in ultra-pure media predicted by Radii Gurzhi. This study restricted to low energy part of the magnon manifold complements part II of this review\cite{kohno_2F}, which concentrates instead on the whole spectrum of propagating magnons.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗