In-situ L-TEM observations of dynamics of nanometric skyrmions and antiskyrmions

Licong Peng; Fehmi Sami Yasin; Kosuke Karube; Naoya Kanazawa; Yasujiro Taguchi; Yoshinori Tokura; Xiuzhen Yu

doi:10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102698

In-situ L-TEM observations of dynamics of nanometric skyrmions and antiskyrmions

Licong Peng, Fehmi Sami Yasin, Kosuke Karube, Naoya Kanazawa, Yasujiro Taguchi, Yoshinori Tokura, Xiuzhen Yu

electron Microscopy and Microanalysis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Nanometer-scale magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions exhibit unique dynamical behaviors in response to external stimuli, which are critical for their applications in low-power-consumption spintronic devices. This review discusses recent advancements in in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (L-TEM) observations of skyrmion and antiskyrmion dynamics, and demonstrates the manipulation and evolution of these textures in various magnetic materials under electric, magnetic, and thermal stimuli. Specifically, the motion tracking of single skyrmions and their clusters, and the deformation and transformation of skyrmions has been demonstrated in chiral helimagnets FeGe, Co₉Zn₉Mn₂, and Co₁₀Zn₁₀ with precise application of electric currents. Skyrmions can undergo dynamic transitions in current-driven skyrmion motions, from pinned states to linear flows, and even exhibit deformation into elliptical shapes, underscoring their topological robustness and dynamic flexibility. In addition, the manipulation of single antiskyrmions and antiskyrmion-lattice phases in (Fe_0.63Ni_0.3Pd_0.07)₃P with S₄ symmetry is discussed, highlighting their high mobility and unique sliding capabilities along stripe domains at room temperature, facilitated by nanosecond pulsed electric currents. Finally, the temperature gradient-driven motion and topological transformation of elliptical skyrmions and antiskyrmions in this same material are investigated. The comprehensive insights gained from the L-TEM imaging technique are pivotal in advancing the design and functionality of next-generation skyrmion/antiskyrmion-based spintronic devices.

Original language	English
Article number	102698
Journal	Nano Today
Volume	62
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102698
State	Published - Jun 2025

Funding

The authors thank Profs. Naoto Nagaosa, Taka-hisa Arima and Shinichro Seki, and Drs. Fumitaka Kagawa, Rina Takagi, Wataru Koshibae, Jan Masell, Kiyou Shibata, Akiko Kikkawaa, Daisuke Morikawa, Konstantin Iakoubovskii and Kiyomi Nakajima for collaboration on the present work. This work was supported in part by Grants-In-Aid for Scientific Research (Grant No. 19H00660, 23H05431, 23H01841) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) CREST program (Grant Number JPMJCR20T1), Japan, RIKEN TRIP program and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52471249). Research sponsored by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the US Department of Energy. Work conducted as part of a user project at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, a US Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( https://www.energy.gov/doe-public-access-plan ). The authors thank Profs. Naoto Nagaosa, Taka-hisa Arima and Shinichro Seki, Fumitaka Kagawa, Rina Takagi, and Drs Wataru Koshibae, Jan Masell, Kiyou Shibata, Akiko Kikkawaa, Daisuke Morikawa, Konstantin Iakoubovskii and Kiyomi Nakajima for collaboration on the present work. This work was supported in part by Grants-In-Aid for Scientific Research (Grant No. 19H00660, 23H05431, 23H01841) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) CREST program (Grant Number JPMJCR20T1), Japan, RIKEN TRIP program (Many-body Electron Systems and Advanced General Intelligence for Science Program) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52471249). Research sponsored by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the US Department of Energy. Work conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), which is a US Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Keywords

(Anti)skyrmion
Electrically and magnetically manipulating (anti)skyrmions
In-situ L-TEM
Magnetic imaging
Topological spin textures

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10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102698

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title = "In-situ L-TEM observations of dynamics of nanometric skyrmions and antiskyrmions",

abstract = "Nanometer-scale magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions exhibit unique dynamical behaviors in response to external stimuli, which are critical for their applications in low-power-consumption spintronic devices. This review discusses recent advancements in in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (L-TEM) observations of skyrmion and antiskyrmion dynamics, and demonstrates the manipulation and evolution of these textures in various magnetic materials under electric, magnetic, and thermal stimuli. Specifically, the motion tracking of single skyrmions and their clusters, and the deformation and transformation of skyrmions has been demonstrated in chiral helimagnets FeGe, Co9Zn9Mn2, and Co10Zn10 with precise application of electric currents. Skyrmions can undergo dynamic transitions in current-driven skyrmion motions, from pinned states to linear flows, and even exhibit deformation into elliptical shapes, underscoring their topological robustness and dynamic flexibility. In addition, the manipulation of single antiskyrmions and antiskyrmion-lattice phases in (Fe0.63Ni0.3Pd0.07)3P with S4 symmetry is discussed, highlighting their high mobility and unique sliding capabilities along stripe domains at room temperature, facilitated by nanosecond pulsed electric currents. Finally, the temperature gradient-driven motion and topological transformation of elliptical skyrmions and antiskyrmions in this same material are investigated. The comprehensive insights gained from the L-TEM imaging technique are pivotal in advancing the design and functionality of next-generation skyrmion/antiskyrmion-based spintronic devices.",

keywords = "(Anti)skyrmion, Electrically and magnetically manipulating (anti)skyrmions, In-situ L-TEM, Magnetic imaging, Topological spin textures",

author = "Licong Peng and Yasin, {Fehmi Sami} and Kosuke Karube and Naoya Kanazawa and Yasujiro Taguchi and Yoshinori Tokura and Xiuzhen Yu",

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AU - Peng, Licong

AU - Yasin, Fehmi Sami

AU - Karube, Kosuke

AU - Kanazawa, Naoya

AU - Taguchi, Yasujiro

AU - Tokura, Yoshinori

AU - Yu, Xiuzhen

PY - 2025/6

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N2 - Nanometer-scale magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions exhibit unique dynamical behaviors in response to external stimuli, which are critical for their applications in low-power-consumption spintronic devices. This review discusses recent advancements in in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (L-TEM) observations of skyrmion and antiskyrmion dynamics, and demonstrates the manipulation and evolution of these textures in various magnetic materials under electric, magnetic, and thermal stimuli. Specifically, the motion tracking of single skyrmions and their clusters, and the deformation and transformation of skyrmions has been demonstrated in chiral helimagnets FeGe, Co9Zn9Mn2, and Co10Zn10 with precise application of electric currents. Skyrmions can undergo dynamic transitions in current-driven skyrmion motions, from pinned states to linear flows, and even exhibit deformation into elliptical shapes, underscoring their topological robustness and dynamic flexibility. In addition, the manipulation of single antiskyrmions and antiskyrmion-lattice phases in (Fe0.63Ni0.3Pd0.07)3P with S4 symmetry is discussed, highlighting their high mobility and unique sliding capabilities along stripe domains at room temperature, facilitated by nanosecond pulsed electric currents. Finally, the temperature gradient-driven motion and topological transformation of elliptical skyrmions and antiskyrmions in this same material are investigated. The comprehensive insights gained from the L-TEM imaging technique are pivotal in advancing the design and functionality of next-generation skyrmion/antiskyrmion-based spintronic devices.

AB - Nanometer-scale magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions exhibit unique dynamical behaviors in response to external stimuli, which are critical for their applications in low-power-consumption spintronic devices. This review discusses recent advancements in in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (L-TEM) observations of skyrmion and antiskyrmion dynamics, and demonstrates the manipulation and evolution of these textures in various magnetic materials under electric, magnetic, and thermal stimuli. Specifically, the motion tracking of single skyrmions and their clusters, and the deformation and transformation of skyrmions has been demonstrated in chiral helimagnets FeGe, Co9Zn9Mn2, and Co10Zn10 with precise application of electric currents. Skyrmions can undergo dynamic transitions in current-driven skyrmion motions, from pinned states to linear flows, and even exhibit deformation into elliptical shapes, underscoring their topological robustness and dynamic flexibility. In addition, the manipulation of single antiskyrmions and antiskyrmion-lattice phases in (Fe0.63Ni0.3Pd0.07)3P with S4 symmetry is discussed, highlighting their high mobility and unique sliding capabilities along stripe domains at room temperature, facilitated by nanosecond pulsed electric currents. Finally, the temperature gradient-driven motion and topological transformation of elliptical skyrmions and antiskyrmions in this same material are investigated. The comprehensive insights gained from the L-TEM imaging technique are pivotal in advancing the design and functionality of next-generation skyrmion/antiskyrmion-based spintronic devices.

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In-situ L-TEM observations of dynamics of nanometric skyrmions and antiskyrmions

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