Observation of room-temperature magnetic skyrmions and their current-driven dynamics in ultrathin metallic ferromagnets
Author(s)
Litzius, Kai; Krüger, Benjamin; Im, Mi-Young; Richter, Kornel; Krone, Andrea; Reeve, Robert M.; Weigand, Markus; Lemesh, Ivan; Mawass, Mohamad-Assaad; Fischer, Peter; Kläui, Mathias; Woo, Seonghoon; Caretta, Lucas Marcelo; Mann, Maxwell; Agrawal, Parnika; Beach, Geoffrey Stephen; ... Show more Show less
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Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures that exhibit fascinating physical behaviours and large potential in highly energy-efficient spintronic device applications. The main obstacles so far are that skyrmions have been observed in only a few exotic materials and at low temperatures, and fast current-driven motion of individual skyrmions has not yet been achieved. Here, we report the observation of stable magnetic skyrmions at room temperature in ultrathin transition metal ferromagnets with magnetic transmission soft X-ray microscopy. We demonstrate the ability to generate stable skyrmion lattices and drive trains of individual skyrmions by short current pulses along a magnetic racetrack at speeds exceeding 100 m s-1as required for applications. Our findings provide experimental evidence of recent predictions and open the door to room-temperature skyrmion spintronics in robust thin-film heterostructures.
Date issued
2016-02Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and EngineeringJournal
Nature Materials
Publisher
Springer Nature
Citation
Woo, Seonghoon et al. “Observation of Room-Temperature Magnetic Skyrmions and Their Current-Driven Dynamics in Ultrathin Metallic Ferromagnets.” Nature Materials 15, 5 (February 2016): 501–506 © 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited
Version: Author's final manuscript
ISSN
1476-1122
1476-4660