Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 45: Spin Structures at Surfaces and in thin films I (Skyrmions)

MA 45.10: Talk

Thursday, April 3, 2014, 17:30–17:45, BEY 118

Creation and annihilation of skyrmions in ultrathin magnetic films — •Julian Hagemeister, Robert Wieser, Elena Vedmedenko, and Roland Wiesendanger — Institute of Applied Physics, University of Hamburg

Recently, the possibility of a selective manipulation of skyrmion structures has been demonstrated experimentally [1]. While the feasibility of the skyrmion-manipulation has been discussed for several systems [2], the time scale of the switching behavior of skyrmions and the energy barrier of this process is unknown up to now.

Here, we present a theoretical description of the thermal and field dependent stability of skyrmions obtained from classical Monte-Carlo simulations within the Heisenberg model for the example of a Pd monolayer on Fe/Ir(111) [1]. The skyrmions are stabilized by a ferromagnetic exchange coupling, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya-interaction and the Zeeman energy. The switching mechanism between the ferromagnetic and the skyrmionic state via an activated transition of the energy barrier between these two phases is studied. The field dependence of the life-times is discussed. Furthermore, the forced creation of a skyrmion within a ferromagnetic phase by a targeted spin manipulation is investigated.

[1] N. Romming, C. Hanneken, M. Menzel, J. E. Bickel, B. Wolter, K. von Bergmann, A. Kubetzka, and Roland Wiesendanger, (2013). Science 341, 636-639. [2] S.-Z. Lin, C. Reichhardt, and A. Saxena, (2013). Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 222405.