Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 41(119), 2022

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200958119

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Real-space determination of the isolated magnetic skyrmion deformation under electric current flow

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Red circle
Preprint: archiving forbidden
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The manipulation and control of electron spins, the fundamental building blocks of magnetic domains and spin textures, are at the core of spintronics. Of particular interest is the effect of the electric current on topological magnetic skyrmions, such as the current-induced deformation of isolated skyrmions. The deformation has consequences ranging from perturbed dynamics to modified packing configurations. In this study, we measured the current-driven real-space deformation of isolated, pinned skyrmions within Co 10 Zn 10 at room temperature. We observed that the skyrmions are surprisingly soft, readily deforming during electric current application into an elliptical shape with a well-defined deformation axis (semimajor axis). We found that this axis rotates unidirectionally toward the current direction irrespective of electric current polarity and that the elliptical deformation reverses back upon current termination. We quantified the average distortion δ, which increased by ∼90% during the largest applied current density | j | = 8.46 ×10 9 A/m 2 when compared with the skyrmion’s intrinsic shape ( j = 0 ). Additionally, we demonstrated an approximately 120% average skyrmion core size expansion during current application, highlighting the skyrmions’ inherent topological protection. This evaluation of in situ electric current–induced skyrmion deformation paints a clearer picture of spin-polarized electron–skyrmion interactions and may prove essential in designing spintronic devices.