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Enhancement of bulk skyrmion stability under pressure
Skyrmions are vortices of spin which appear in chiral magnets. Their localization to nanometer-sized domains and relatively low energy make them ideal candidates for future data storage devices. However, their application is hampered by very narrow temperature window where they appear, typically only 2 K wide. The latest paper by our colleagues shows that the skyrmion phase can be widened significantly under moderate pressure.
Dramatic pressure-driven enhancement of bulk skyrmion stability
I. Levatić, P. Popčević, V. Šurija, A. Kruchkov, H. Berger, A. Magrez, J. S. White, H. M. Rønnow, I. Živković
Scientific Reports 6, 21347 (2016). doi: 10.1038/srep21347
Recent discovery of skyrmion lattices has been accompanied by a flurry of new research in application and fundamental science. Novel phenomena result from their interaction with itinerant electrons, such as topological Hall effect and a spin-transfer torque at ultralow current densities. One of the basic issues with applying skyrmionic materials is the stability of their magnetic lattice. The hexagonal skyrmion lattice in bulk materials is typically found in a very narrow temperature window just below the order-disorder transition. Widening this useful phase would bring its application in spintronic devices closer to reality.
Published in Scientific Reports, the recent paper by our colleagues Ivana Levatić, Petar Popčević, Vinko Šurija and Ivica Živković from Institut za fiziku together with their collaborators from Vienna, Lausanne, and Villigen show that the skyrmion phase in Cu2OSeO3 can be stabilized in a significantly wider temperature range when under moderate hydrostatic pressure. Moreover, Cu2OSeO3 is an insulator, so instead of rotating the skyrmion lattice using electric current, it can be controlled by applying voltage. This introduces a disipationless means of control of skyrmion lattice, paving a way to new power-efficient spintronic devices.