Measuring the Formation Energy Barrier of Skyrmions in Zinc Substituted Cu${}_2$OSeO${}_3$

Abstract

We report small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements of the skyrmion lattice in (Cu${}_{0.976}$Zn${}_{0.024}$)${}_2$OSeO${}_3$ under the application of an electric field. These measurements show an expansion of the skyrmion lattice stability region with electric field similar to that seen in pristine Cu${}_2$OSeO${}_3$. Furthermore, using time-resolved SANS, we observe the slow formation of skyrmions after an electric or magnetic field is applied, which has not been observed in pristine Cu${}_2$OSeO${}_3$ crystals. The measured formation times are dramatically longer than the corresponding skyrmion destruction times after the external field is removed, and increase exponentially from 100~s at 52.5~K to 10,000~s at 51.5~K. This thermally activated behaviour indicates an energy barrier for skyrmion formation of 1.57(2)~eV, the size of which demonstrates the huge cost for creating these complex chiral objects.

arXiv comment8 pages, 8 figures

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Cited by in corpus (13)

• Experimental signatures of quantum and topological states in frustrated magnetism
• Universality of annihilation barriers of large magnetic skyrmions in chiral and frustrated magnets
• Voltage control of skyrmions: creation, annihilation and zero-magnetic field stablization
• Magnetism and Néel skyrmion dynamics in GaV${}_4$S${}_{8-y}$Se${}_y$
• Stability and Metastability of Skyrmions in Thin Lamellae of Cu${}_2$OSeO${}_3$
• Pinning of Helimagnetic Phase Transitions in Zn-Substituted Skyrmion Host Cu${}_2$OSeO${}_3$
• Establishing magneto-structural relationships in the solid solutions of the skyrmion hosting family of materials: GaV${}_4$S${}_{8-y}$Se${}_y$
• Topological energy barrier for skyrmion lattice formation in MnSi
• Imaging magnetic spiral phases, skyrmion clusters, and skyrmion displacements at the surface of bulk Cu${}_2$OSeO${}_3$
• Enhanced skyrmion metastability under applied strain in FeGe
• Observation of magnetic skyrmion lattice in Cr${}_{0.82}$Mn${}_{0.18}$Ge by small-angle neutron scattering
• Effect of chemical substitution on the skyrmion phase in Cu${}_2$OSeO${}_3$
• Structure and magnetism of the skyrmion hosting family GaV${}_4$S${}_{8-y}$Se${}_y$ with low levels of substitutions between $0\le y\le 0.5$ and $7.5\le y\le 8$