Single Skyrmion Generation via a Vertical Nanocontact in a 2D Magnet-Based Heterostructure.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 36400013.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01944 and PMC identifier 9756335.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Skyrmions have been well studied in chiral magnets and magnetic thin films due to their potential application in practical devices. Recently, monochiral skyrmions have been observed in two-dimensional van der Waals magnets. Their atomically flat surfaces and capability to be stacked into heterostructures offer new prospects for skyrmion applications. However, the controlled local nucleation of skyrmions within these materials has yet to be realized. Here, we utilize real-space X-ray microscopy to investigate a heterostructure composed of the 2D ferromagnet Fe<sub>3</sub>GeTe<sub>2</sub> (FGT), an insulating hexagonal boron nitride layer, and a graphite top electrode. Upon a stepwise increase of the voltage applied between the graphite and FGT, a vertically conducting pathway can be formed. This nanocontact allows the tunable creation of individual skyrmions via single nanosecond pulses of low current density. Furthermore, time-resolved magnetic imaging highlights the stability of the nanocontact, while our micromagnetic simulations reproduce the observed skyrmion nucleation process.