Robust Zero-Field Skyrmion Formation in FeGe Epitaxial Thin Films

Abstract

B20 phase magnetic materials, such as FeGe, have been of significant interests in recent years because they enable magnetic skyrmions, which can potentially lead to low energy cost spintronic applications. One major effort in this emerging field is the stabilization of skyrmions at room temperature and zero external magnetic field. We report the growth of phase-pure FeGe epitaxial thin films on Si(111) substrates by ultrahigh vacuum off-axis sputtering. The high crystalline quality of the FeGe films was confirmed by x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Hall effect measurements reveal strong topological Hall effect after subtracting out the ordinary and anomalous Hall effects, demonstrating the formation of high density skyrmions in FeGe films between 5 and 275 K. In particular, substantial topological Hall effect was observed at zero magnetic field, showing a robust skyrmion phase without the need of an external magnetic field.

References in corpus (8)

• Anomalous Hall effect
• Spontaneous Skyrmion Ground States in Magnetic Metals
• Emergent electrodynamics of skyrmions in a chiral magnet
• Robust formation of skyrmions and topological Hall effect in epitaxial thin films of MnSi
• Skyrmions with varying size and helicity in composition-spread helimagnetic alloys
• Large Spin Pumping from Epitaxial Y3Fe5O12 Thin Films to Pt and W Layers
• Discretized Topological Hall Effect Emerging from Skyrmions in Constricted Geometry
• Scattering mechanisms in textured FeGe thin films: magnetoresistance and the anomalous Hall effect

Cited by in corpus (41)

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