Prediction of stable nanoscale skyrmions in monolayer Fe${}_5$GeTe${}_2$

Abstract

Using first-principles calculations and atomistic spin simulations, we predict stable isolated skyrmions with a diameter below 10 nm in a monolayer of the two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnet Fe${}_5$GeTe${}_2$, a material of significant experimental interest. A very large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is observed due to the intrinsic broken inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling for monolayer Fe${}_5$GeTe${}_2$. We show that the nearest-neighbor approximation, often used in literature, fails to describe the DMI. The strong DMI together with moderate in-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy allows to stabilize nanoscale skyrmions in out-of-plane magnetic fields above $\approx 2$~T. The energy barriers of skyrmions in monolayer Fe${}_5$GeTe${}_2$ are comparable to those of state-of-the-art transition-metal ultra-thin films. We further predict that these nanoscale skyrmions can be stable for hours at temperatures up to 20 K.

7 pages, 4 figures

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• Long lifetimes of nanoscale skyrmions in lithium-decorated van der Waals ferromagnet Fe${}_3$GeTe${}_2$
• Strongly enhanced lifetime of higher-order bimerons and antibimerons
• A new skyrmion topological transition driven by higher-order exchange interactions in Janus MnSeTe