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Vortices are among the simplest topological structures, and occur whenever a flow field `whirls around a one-dimensional core. They are ubiquitous to many branches of physics, from fluid dynamics to superconductivity and superfluidity, and are even predicted by some unified theories of particle interactions, where they might explain some of the largest-scale structures seen in todays Universe. In the crystalline state, vortex formation is rare, since it is generally hampered by long-range interactions: in ferroic materials (ferromagnetic and ferroelectric), vortices are only observed when the effects of the dipole-dipole interaction is modified by confinement at the nanoscale, or when the parameter associated with the vorticity does not couple directly with strain. Here, we present the discovery of a novel form of vortices in antiferromagnetic (AFM) hematite ($alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$) epitaxial films, in which the primary whirling parameter is the staggered magnetisation. Remarkably, ferromagnetic (FM) topological objects with the same vorticity and winding number of the $alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$ vortices are imprinted onto an ultra-thin Co ferromagnetic over-layer by interfacial exchange. Our data suggest that the ferromagnetic vortices may be merons (half-skyrmions, carrying an out-of-plane core magnetisation), and indicate that the vortex/meron pairs can be manipulated by the application of an in-plane magnetic field, H$_{parallel}$, giving rise to large-scale vortex-antivortex annihilation.
Magnetic skyrmions are topologically-protected spin textures that exhibit fascinating physical behaviors and large potential in highly energy efficient spintronic device applications. The main obstacles so far are that skyrmions have been observed in
The design of large-scale electronic circuits that are entirely spintronics-driven requires a current source that is highly spin-polarised at and beyond room temperature, cheap to build, efficient at the nanoscale and straightforward to integrate wit
Materials with reduced dimensions have been shown to host a wide variety of exotic properties and novel quantum states that often defy textbook wisdom1-5. Ferroelectric polarization and metallicity are well-known examples of mutually exclusive proper
It is well known that diamond does not deform plastically at room temperature and usually fails in catastrophic brittle fracture. Here we demonstrate room-temperature dislocation plasticity in sub-micrometer sized diamond pillars by in-situ mechanica
Facing the ever-growing demand for data storage will most probably require a new paradigm. Magnetic skyrmions are anticipated to solve this issue as they are arguably the smallest spin textures in magnetic thin films in nature. We designed cobalt-bas