Skyrmions in Oxide Materials and Heterostructures
Invited
Abstract
Magnetic skyrmions are small swirling topological spin textures in either non-centrosymmetric
magnetic bulk compounds or in thin films with broken inversion symmetry. They are stabilized
as a result of the balance among the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction, the
Heisenberg exchange interaction, magnetic anisotropy, and the Zeeman energy. Skyrmions can
be very small, with a diameter of few nanometers and behave as particles, which can be created,
annihilated and manipulated. They may be a strong candidate for high density and energy-
efficient information storage and processing. We will briefly review recent works on skyrmions
in thin films. Then we will discuss our recent progress on new thin-film materials platforms and
device physics for skyrmions. We will discuss the use of DMI and anisotropy energy, the
Zeeman energy to control the creation of skyrmions in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic
systems, particularly in insulator and heterostructures. For example, we will describe the use of
exchange bias to create skyrmions. Voltage-control of skyrmions and their dynamics will be also
described. Skyrmions in various material platforms such as ferromagnetic insulator
heterostructures will be reported. Lastly, we will discuss the recent use of 2D materials for room
temperature skyrmions. The study of skyrmions and anti-skyrmions in analogy with the creation
and annihilation of particles and antiparticle may provide a condensed matter platform for
studying the particle counterparts.
magnetic bulk compounds or in thin films with broken inversion symmetry. They are stabilized
as a result of the balance among the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction, the
Heisenberg exchange interaction, magnetic anisotropy, and the Zeeman energy. Skyrmions can
be very small, with a diameter of few nanometers and behave as particles, which can be created,
annihilated and manipulated. They may be a strong candidate for high density and energy-
efficient information storage and processing. We will briefly review recent works on skyrmions
in thin films. Then we will discuss our recent progress on new thin-film materials platforms and
device physics for skyrmions. We will discuss the use of DMI and anisotropy energy, the
Zeeman energy to control the creation of skyrmions in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic
systems, particularly in insulator and heterostructures. For example, we will describe the use of
exchange bias to create skyrmions. Voltage-control of skyrmions and their dynamics will be also
described. Skyrmions in various material platforms such as ferromagnetic insulator
heterostructures will be reported. Lastly, we will discuss the recent use of 2D materials for room
temperature skyrmions. The study of skyrmions and anti-skyrmions in analogy with the creation
and annihilation of particles and antiparticle may provide a condensed matter platform for
studying the particle counterparts.
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Presenters
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Kang L. Wang
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, University of California at Los Angeles
Authors
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Kang L. Wang
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, University of California at Los Angeles