Current-driven dynamics and inhibition of the skyrmion Hall effect of ferrimagnetic skyrmions in GdFeCo films

Seonghoon Woo, Kyung Mee Song, Xichao Zhang, Yan Zhou, Motohiko Ezawa, Xiaoxi Liu, S. Finizio, J. Raabe, Nyun Jong Lee, Sang Il Kim, Seung Young Park, Younghak Kim, Jae Young Kim, Dongjoon Lee, Oukjae Lee, Jun Woo Choi, Byoung Chul Min, Hyun Cheol Koo, Joonyeon Chang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

268 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are swirling magnetic textures with novel characteristics suitable for future spintronic and topological applications. Recent studies confirmed the room-temperature stabilization of skyrmions in ultrathin ferromagnets. However, such ferromagnetic skyrmions show an undesirable topological effect, the skyrmion Hall effect, which leads to their current-driven motion towards device edges, where skyrmions could easily be annihilated by topographic defects. Recent theoretical studies have predicted enhanced current-driven behavior for antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled skyrmions. Here we present the stabilization of these skyrmions and their current-driven dynamics in ferrimagnetic GdFeCo films. By utilizing element-specific X-ray imaging, we find that the skyrmions in the Gd and FeCo sublayers are antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled. We further confirm that ferrimagnetic skyrmions can move at a velocity of ~50 m s -1 with reduced skyrmion Hall angle, |θ SkHE | ~ 20°. Our findings open the door to ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic skyrmionics while providing key experimental evidences of recent theoretical studies.

Original languageEnglish
Article number959
JournalNature communications
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018 Dec 1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Chemistry(all)
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
  • General
  • Physics and Astronomy(all)

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