Real-space determination of the isolated magnetic skyrmion deformation under electric current flow

Fehmi Sami Yasin; Jan Masell; Kosuke Karube; Akiko Kikkawa; Yasujiro Taguchi; Yoshinori Tokura; Xiuzhen Yu

doi:10.1073/pnas.2200958119

Real-space determination of the isolated magnetic skyrmion deformation under electric current flow

Fehmi Sami Yasin, Jan Masell, Kosuke Karube, Akiko Kikkawa, Yasujiro Taguchi, Yoshinori Tokura, Xiuzhen Yu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

The manipulation and control of electron spins, the fundamental building blocks of magnetic domains and spin textures, are at the core of spintronics. Of particular interest is the effect of the electric current on topological magnetic skyrmions, such as the current-induced deformation of isolated skyrmions. The deformation has consequences ranging from perturbed dynamics to modified packing configurations. In this study, we measured the current-driven real-space deformation of isolated, pinned skyrmions within Co₁₀Zn₁₀ at room temperature. We observed that the skyrmions are surprisingly soft, readily deforming during electric current application into an elliptical shape with a well-defined deformation axis (semimajor axis). We found that this axis rotates unidirectionally toward the current direction irrespective of electric current polarity and that the elliptical deformation reverses back upon current termination. We quantified the average distortion δ, which increased by ∼90% during the largest applied current density |j| = 8.46 ×10⁹ A/m² when compared with the skyrmion’s intrinsic shape (j = 0). Additionally, we demonstrated an approximately 120% average skyrmion core size expansion during current application, highlighting the skyrmions’ inherent topological protection. This evaluation of in situ electric current–induced skyrmion deformation paints a clearer picture of spin-polarized electron–skyrmion interactions and may prove essential in designing spintronic devices.

Original language	English
Article number	e2200958119
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	119
Issue number	41
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2200958119
State	Published - Oct 11 2022
Externally published	Yes

Funding

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We are very grateful to Tomoko Kikitsu (Materials Characterization Support Team in the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science) for technical support on the TEM (JEM-2100F) and Naoto Nagaosa for helpful discussions. Y. Tokura acknowledges the support of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST) program (Grant No. JPMJCR1874). X.Y. acknowledges the support of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (Grant No. 19H00660) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the JST-CREST program (Grant No. JPMJCR20T1). J.M. was supported as a Humboldt/JSPS International Research Fellow (19F19815) and by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as a Feodor Lynen Return Fellow.

Keywords

CoZn
Lorentz TEM
applied electric current
skyrmion deformation
skyrmion expansion

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title = "Real-space determination of the isolated magnetic skyrmion deformation under electric current flow",

abstract = "The manipulation and control of electron spins, the fundamental building blocks of magnetic domains and spin textures, are at the core of spintronics. Of particular interest is the effect of the electric current on topological magnetic skyrmions, such as the current-induced deformation of isolated skyrmions. The deformation has consequences ranging from perturbed dynamics to modified packing configurations. In this study, we measured the current-driven real-space deformation of isolated, pinned skyrmions within Co10Zn10 at room temperature. We observed that the skyrmions are surprisingly soft, readily deforming during electric current application into an elliptical shape with a well-defined deformation axis (semimajor axis). We found that this axis rotates unidirectionally toward the current direction irrespective of electric current polarity and that the elliptical deformation reverses back upon current termination. We quantified the average distortion δ, which increased by ∼90% during the largest applied current density |j| = 8.46 ×109 A/m2 when compared with the skyrmion{\textquoteright}s intrinsic shape (j = 0). Additionally, we demonstrated an approximately 120% average skyrmion core size expansion during current application, highlighting the skyrmions{\textquoteright} inherent topological protection. This evaluation of in situ electric current–induced skyrmion deformation paints a clearer picture of spin-polarized electron–skyrmion interactions and may prove essential in designing spintronic devices.",

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author = "Yasin, {Fehmi Sami} and Jan Masell and Kosuke Karube and Akiko Kikkawa and Yasujiro Taguchi and Yoshinori Tokura and Xiuzhen Yu",

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AB - The manipulation and control of electron spins, the fundamental building blocks of magnetic domains and spin textures, are at the core of spintronics. Of particular interest is the effect of the electric current on topological magnetic skyrmions, such as the current-induced deformation of isolated skyrmions. The deformation has consequences ranging from perturbed dynamics to modified packing configurations. In this study, we measured the current-driven real-space deformation of isolated, pinned skyrmions within Co10Zn10 at room temperature. We observed that the skyrmions are surprisingly soft, readily deforming during electric current application into an elliptical shape with a well-defined deformation axis (semimajor axis). We found that this axis rotates unidirectionally toward the current direction irrespective of electric current polarity and that the elliptical deformation reverses back upon current termination. We quantified the average distortion δ, which increased by ∼90% during the largest applied current density |j| = 8.46 ×109 A/m2 when compared with the skyrmion’s intrinsic shape (j = 0). Additionally, we demonstrated an approximately 120% average skyrmion core size expansion during current application, highlighting the skyrmions’ inherent topological protection. This evaluation of in situ electric current–induced skyrmion deformation paints a clearer picture of spin-polarized electron–skyrmion interactions and may prove essential in designing spintronic devices.

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Real-space determination of the isolated magnetic skyrmion deformation under electric current flow

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