Dresden 2017 – scientific programme
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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus
MA 3: Magnetic Textures: Statics and experimental imaging
MA 3.10: Talk
Monday, March 20, 2017, 12:00–12:15, HSZ 101
Isolated skyrmions with vanishing anisotropy in Co/Ru(0001) — •B. Dupé1, M. Hervé2, R. Lopez3, M. Böttcher1, M. D. Martins3, T. Balashov2, L. Gerhard2, C. Gorenflo2, J. Sinova1, and W. Wulfhekel2 — 1Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz — 2Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe — 3Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Skyrmions are localized and topologically stabilized non-collinear spin structures. Skyrmions offer attractive perspectives for future spintronics applications, because they can be manipulated at lower current densities than domain walls [1]. The stabilization of skyrmions is usually attributed to a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). DMI is enhanced at surfaces and interfaces via the hybridization of the magnetic atoms with 5d elements [2]. The resulting strong DMI has been able to explain the presence of isolated skyrmions in Co/Pt(111) thin films [3], and [Ir/Co/Pt] superlattices [4]. Here, we show that a strong DMI is not a necessary condition to obtain skyrmions in ultra-thin films. Co/Ru(0001) possesses a spin spiral ground state, although the DMI is weak. We attribute the stability of this spin texture to the simultaneous vanishing of anisotropy. We determine the magnetic interactions in this system using density functional theory and explain the occurrence of isolated skyrmions by Monte-Carlo simulations. [1] A. Fert, et al Nature Nano. 8, 152 (2013). [2] B. Dupé, et al Nature Comm. 7, 11779 (2016). [3] O. Boulle, el al Nature Nano. 11, 449 (2016) [4] C. Moreau-Luchaire, et al Nature Nano. 11, 444 (2016).