No Arabic abstract
Mallinsons idea that some spin textures in planar magnetic structures could produce an enhancement of the magnetic flux on one side of the plane at the expense of the other gave rise to permanent magnet configurations known as Halbach magnet arrays. Applications range from wiggler magnets in particle accelerators and free electron lasers, to motors, to magnetic levitation trains, but exploiting Halbach arrays in micro- or nanoscale spintronics devices requires solving the problem of fabrication and field metrology below 100 {mu}m size. In this work we show that a Halbach configuration of moments can be obtained over areas as small as 1 x 1 {mu}m^2 in sputtered thin films with Neel-type domain walls of unique domain wall chirality, and we measure their stray field at a controlled probe-sample distance of 12.0 x 0.5 nm. Because here chirality is determined by the interfacial Dyzaloshinkii-Moriya interaction the field attenuation and amplification is an intrinsic property of this film, allowing for flexibility of design based on an appropriate definition of magnetic domains. 100 nm-wide skyrmions illustrate the smallest kind of such structures, for which our measurement of stray magnetic fields and mapping of the spin structure shows they funnel the field toward one specific side of the film given by the sign of the Dyzaloshinkii-Moriya interaction parameter D.
In two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) magnets, the presence of magnetic orders, strong spin-orbit coupling and asymmetry at interfaces is the key ingredient for hosting chiral spin textures. However, experimental evidences for chiral magnetism in vdW magnets remain elusive. Here we demonstrate unambiguously the formation of chiral spin textures in thin Fe3GeTe2 nanoflakes using advanced magnetic electron microscopy and first-principles calculations. Specifically, electron holography analyses reveal the spin configurations of Neel-type, zero-field-stabilized skyrmions in 20-nm-thick Fe3GeTe2 nanoflakes at cryogenic temperature. In situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy measurements further provide detailed magnetic phase diagrams of chiral spin textures including spirals and skyrmions in Fe3GeTe2 as a function of temperature, applied magnetic field and specimen thickness. First-principles calculations unveil a finite interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the Te/Fe3Ge/Te slabs that induces the spin chirality in Fe3GeTe2. Our discovery of spin chirality in the prototypical vdW Fe3GeTe2 opens up new opportunities for studying chiral magnetism in two-dimensional vdW magnets from both fundamental and applied perspectives.
Modern polarization theory yields surface bound charge associated with spontaneous polarization of bulk. However, understanding polarization in nano systems also requires a proper treatment of charge transfer between surface dangling bonds. Here, we develop a real-space approach for total polarization and apply it to wurtzite semiconductors and BaTiO3 perovskite. First-principles calculations utilizing this approach not only yield spontaneous bulk polarization in agreement with Berry phase calculations, but also uncover phenomena specific to nano systems. As an example, we show surface passivation leads to a complete quenching of the piezoelectric effect, which reemerges only at larger length scale and/or spontaneous polarization.
Polar chiral structures have recently attracted much interest within the scientific community, as they pave the way towards innovative device concepts similar to the developments achieved in nanomagnetism. Despite the growing interest, many fundamental questions related to the mechanisms controlling the appearance and stability of ferroelectric topological structures remain open. In this context, ferroelectric nanoparticles provide a flexible playground for such investigations. Here, we present a theoretical study of ferroelectric polar textures in a cylindrical core-shell nanoparticle. The calculations reveal a chiral polarization structure containing two oppositely oriented diffuse axial domains located near the cylinder ends, separated by a region with a zero-axial polarization. We name this polarization configuration flexon to underline the flexoelectric nature of its axial polarization. Analytical calculations and numerical simulation results show that the flexons chirality can be switched by reversing the sign of the flexoelectric coefficient. Furthermore, the anisotropy of the flexoelectric coupling is found to critically influence the polarization texture and domain morphology. The flexon rounded shape, combined with its distinct chiral properties and the localization nature near the surface, are reminiscent of Chiral Bobber structures in magnetism. In the azimuthal plane, the flexon displays the polarization state of a vortex with an axially polarized core region, i.e., a meron. The flexoelectric effect, which couples the electric polarization and elastic strain gradients, plays a determining role in the stabilization of these chiral states. We discuss similarities between this interaction and the recently predicted ferroelectric Dyzaloshinskii-Moriya interaction leading to chiral polarization states.
Quantum oxide materials possess a vast range of properties stemming from the interplay between the lattice, charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom, in which electron correlations often play an important role. Historically, the spin-orbit coupling was rarely a dominant energy scale in oxides. It however recently came to the forefront, unleashing various exotic phenomena connected with real and reciprocal-space topology that may be harnessed in spintronics. In this article, we review the recent advances in the new field of oxide spin-orbitronics with a special focus on spin-charge interconversion from the direct and inverse spin Hall and Edelstein effects, and on the generation and observation of topological spin textures such as skyrmions. We highlight the control of spin-orbit-driven effects by ferroelectricity and give perspectives for the field.
The nontrivial topology of spin systems such as skyrmions in real space can promote complex electronic states. Here, we provide a general viewpoint at the emergence of topological electronic states in spin systems based on the methods of noncommutative K-theory. By realizing that the structure of the observable algebra of spin textures is determined by the algebraic properties of the noncommutative hypertorus, we arrive at a unified understanding of topological electronic states which we predict to arise in various noncollinear setups. The power of our approach lies in an ability to categorize emergent topological states algebraically without referring to smooth real- or reciprocal-space quantities. This opens a way towards an educated design of topological phases in aperiodic, disordered, or non-smooth textures of spins and charges containing topological defects.