Soft x-ray 3D imaging of dipole-stabilized magnetic skyrmions in FeGd thin films

ORAL

Abstract

Topologically stabilized spin structures such as magnetic skyrmions are promising platforms for efficient next-generation technologies including spintronics and low-energy data transport and storage. However, their small size, low-contrast, required fields, and complex textures make them difficult to image directly in three dimensions (3D). In this work we use specially designed FeGd multilayer thin films in which skyrmions are dipole stabilized and exist within the material for extended periods of time (weeks or even months) at room temperature and with no applied field. This creates an additional imaging challenge, however, as the thin-film nature of the sample means that there is only a low-contrast magnetic scatter signal. We therefore extended a soft x-ray vector ptychotomography technique we developed to a system with only magnetic contrast. By combining resonant x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) to provide magnetic sensitivity, ptychography for diffraction-limited imaging with phase contrast which is ideal for low-contrast materials, and tomography, we generate full 3D images of dipole stabilized skyrmions at room temperature and with zero applied magnetic field.

*STROBE: a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, award #DMR1548924

–

Presenters

  • Emma M Cating-Subramanian

    • JILA, University of Colorado Boulder
    • University of Colorado, Boulder
    • University of Colorado Boulder

Authors

  • Emma M Cating-Subramanian

    • JILA, University of Colorado Boulder
    • University of Colorado, Boulder
    • University of Colorado Boulder

  • Chen-Ting Liao

    • JILA, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Saman Moniri

    • University of California Los Angeles

  • Iona Binnie

    • JILA
    • University of Colorado Boulder
    • JILA, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Arjun Rana

    • University of California, Los Angeles
    • UCLA

  • Xingyuan Lu

    • University of California, Los Angeles
    • UCLA

  • Christian Gentry

    • JILA
    • University of Colorado Boulder
    • JILA, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Bin Wang

    • University of Colorado Boulder

  • Vanessa Schoeppler

    • LBL

  • Young-Sang Yu

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • LBL

  • David A Shapiro

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Eric E Fullerton

    • University of California, San Diego
    • Center for Memory and Recording Research, UC San Diego
    • Center for Memory and Recording Research, University of California San Diego

  • Yuka Esashi

    • University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Nicholas Jenkins

    • University of Colorado Boulder

  • Michael Tanksalvala

    • University of Colorado Boulder

  • Sergio Montoya

    • UCSD
    • University of California San Diego
    • University of California, San Diego

  • John Miao

    • University of California, Los Angeles
    • University of California

  • Henry C Kapteyn

    • JILA, University of Colorado Boulder
    • JILA
    • University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Margaret M Murnane

    • JILA, University of Colorado Boulder
    • JILA