Room-temperature sub-100 nm Néel-type skyrmions in non-stoichiometric van der Waals ferromagnet $\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{3-\mathrm{x}}\mathrm{GaT}{\mathrm{e}}_2$ with ultrafast laser writability

Abstract

Realizing room-temperature magnetic skyrmions in two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnets offers unparalleled prospects for future spintronic applications. However, due to the intrinsic spin fluctuations that suppress atomic long-range magnetic order and the inherent inversion crystal symmetry that excludes the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, achieving room-temperature skyrmions in 2D magnets remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we target room-temperature 2D magnet $\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_3\mathrm{GaT}{\mathrm{e}}_2$ and unveil that the introduction of iron-deficient into this compound enables spatial inversion symmetry breaking, thus inducing a significant Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction that brings about room-temperature Néel-type skyrmions with unprecedentedly small size. To further enhance the practical applications of this finding, we employ a homemade in-situ optical Lorentz transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate ultrafast writing of skyrmions in $\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{3-\mathrm{x}}\mathrm{GaT}{\mathrm{e}}_2$ using a single femtosecond laser pulse. Our results manifest the $\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{3-\mathrm{x}}\mathrm{GaT}{\mathrm{e}}_2$ as a promising building block for realizing skyrmion-based magneto-optical functionalities.

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