Optical creation and annihilation of skyrmion patches in a chiral magnet

authored by: J. Kalin, S. Sievers, H.W. Schumacher, R. Abram, H. Füser, M. Bieler, D. Kalin, A. Bauer, C. Pfleiderer
Abstract: A key challenge for the realization of future skyrmion devices comprises the controlled creation, annihilation, and detection of these topologically nontrivial magnetic textures. In this study, we report an all-optical approach for writing, deleting, and reading skyrmions in the chiral magnet Fe0.75Co0.25Si based on thermal quenching. Using focused femtosecond laser pulses, patches of a thermally metastable skyrmion lattice state are created and annihilated locally, demonstrating unprecedented control of skyrmions in chiral magnets. The skyrmion state is read out by analyzing the microwave spin excitations in time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. Extracting the magnetic field and laser-fluence dependence, we find well-separated magnetic field regimes and different laser-fluence thresholds for the laser-induced creation and annihilation of skyrmions. The all-optical skyrmion control, as established in this study for a model system, represents a promising and energy-efficient approach for the realization of skyrmions as magnetic bits in future storage devices, reminiscent of magneto-optical storage devices in the past.
External Organisation(s): National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB)
ESERA GmbH
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Type: Article
Journal: Physical review applied
Volume: 21
ISSN: 2331-7019
Publication date: 29.03.2024
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Physics and Astronomy(all)
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.21.034065 (Access: Unknown)
https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.21.034065 (Access: Unknown)

BibTeX

@article{d86bb2b5cd9d4314887bc0ed5fdc844c,
title = "Optical creation and annihilation of skyrmion patches in a chiral magnet",
abstract = "A key challenge for the realization of future skyrmion devices comprises the controlled creation, annihilation, and detection of these topologically nontrivial magnetic textures. In this study, we report an all-optical approach for writing, deleting, and reading skyrmions in the chiral magnet Fe0.75Co0.25Si based on thermal quenching. Using focused femtosecond laser pulses, patches of a thermally metastable skyrmion lattice state are created and annihilated locally, demonstrating unprecedented control of skyrmions in chiral magnets. The skyrmion state is read out by analyzing the microwave spin excitations in time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. Extracting the magnetic field and laser-fluence dependence, we find well-separated magnetic field regimes and different laser-fluence thresholds for the laser-induced creation and annihilation of skyrmions. The all-optical skyrmion control, as established in this study for a model system, represents a promising and energy-efficient approach for the realization of skyrmions as magnetic bits in future storage devices, reminiscent of magneto-optical storage devices in the past.",
author = "J. Kalin and S. Sievers and H.W. Schumacher and R. Abram and H. F{\"u}ser and M. Bieler and D. Kalin and A. Bauer and C. Pfleiderer",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 American Physical Society.",
year = "2024",
month = mar,
day = "29",
doi = "10.1103/PhysRevApplied.21.034065",
language = "English",
volume = "21",
journal = "Physical review applied",
issn = "2331-7019",
publisher = "American Physical Society",
number = "3",
}