Strain-Driven Zero-Field Near-10 nm Skyrmions in Two-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions $-$ localized chiral spin structures $-$ show great promise for spintronic applications. The recent discovery of two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials opened new opportunities for exploring such topological spin structures in atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials. Despite recent progress in stabilizing metastable skyrmions in 2D magnets, their diameters are still beyond 100~nm and their lifetime, which is essential for applications, has not been explored yet. Here, using first-principles calculations and atomistic spin simulations, we predict that compressive mechanical strain leads to stabilizing zero-field skyrmions with diameters close to 10 nm in a Fe${}_3$GeTe${}_2$/germanene vdW heterostructure. The origin of these unique skyrmions is attributed to the high tunability of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy by strain, an effect which is shown to be general for Fe${}_3$GeTe${}_2$ heterostructures with buckled substrates. Based on our first-principles parameters for the magnetic interactions, we calculate the energy barriers protecting skyrmions against annihilation and their lifetimes using transition-state theory. We show that nanoscale skyrmions in strained Fe${}_3$GeTe${}_2$/germanene can be stable for hours at temperatures up to 20 K.

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• From Early Theories of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interactions in Metallic Systems to Today's Novel Roads
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• Tuning the magnetic interactions in van der Waals Fe${}_3$GeTe${}_2$ heterostructures: A comparative study of \textit{ab initio} methods
• Magnetic Anisotropy in Two-dimensional van der Waals Magnetic Materials and Their Heterostructures: Importance, Mechanisms, and Opportunities
• Manipulation of magnetic topological textures via perpendicular strain and polarization in van der Waals magnetoelectric heterostructure
• Prediction of stable nanoscale skyrmions in monolayer Fe${}_5$GeTe${}_2$
• Recent Advances in Unconventional Ferroelectrics and Multiferroics
• Modulation of skyrmionic magnetic textures in two-dimensional vdW materials and their heterostructures
• Proposal for all-electrical skyrmion detection in van der Waals tunnel junctions
• Electric-field-induced formation and annihilation of skyrmions in two-dimensional magnet
• A feasibility analysis towards the simulation of hysteresis with spin-lattice dynamics
• Engineering skyrmion from spin spiral in transition metal multilayers
• Long lifetimes of nanoscale skyrmions in lithium-decorated van der Waals ferromagnet Fe${}_3$GeTe${}_2$
• A new skyrmion topological transition driven by higher-order exchange interactions in Janus MnSeTe
• Strongly enhanced lifetime of higher-order bimerons and antibimerons