Skyrmions in antiferromagnets: Thermal stability and the effect of external field and impurities

Standard

Skyrmions in antiferromagnets: Thermal stability and the effect of external field and impurities. / Potkina, Maria N. ; Lobanov, Igor S. ; Jónsson, Hannes; Uzdin, Valery M. .

In: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 127, No. 21, 213906, 07.06.2020.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

BibTeX

@article{e8b8132f08414729abb7e4247cbda484,

title = "Skyrmions in antiferromagnets: Thermal stability and the effect of external field and impurities",

abstract = "Calculations of skyrmions in antiferromagnets (AFMs) are presented, and their properties compared with skyrmions in corresponding ferromagnets (FMs). The rates of skyrmion collapse and escape through the boundary of a track, as well as the binding to and collapse at a non-magnetic impurity, are calculated as a function of an applied magnetic field. The activation energy for skyrmion annihilation is the same in AFMs and corresponding FMs in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The pre-exponential factor in the Arrhenius rate law is, however, different because skyrmion dynamics is different in the two systems. An applied magnetic field has opposite effects on skyrmions in the two types of materials. In AFMs, the rate of collapse of skyrmions as well as the rate of escape through the edge of a magnetic strip decreases slightly with increasing field, while these rates increase strongly for a skyrmion in the corresponding FMs when the field is directed antiparallel to the magnetization in the center of the skyrmion. A non-magnetic impurity is less likely to trap a skyrmion in AFMs, especially in the presence of a magnetic field. This, together with the established fact that a spin polarized current moves skyrmions in AFMs in the direction of the current, while in FMs skyrmions move at an angle to the current, demonstrates that skyrmions in AFMs have several advantageous properties over skyrmions in FMs for memory and spintronic devices.",

author = "Potkina, {Maria N.} and Lobanov, {Igor S.} and Hannes J{\'o}nsson and Uzdin, {Valery M.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Author(s).",

year = "2020",

month = jun,

day = "7",

doi = "10.1063/5.0009559",

language = "English",

volume = "127",

journal = "Journal of Applied Physics",

issn = "0021-8979",

publisher = "American Institute of Physics",

number = "21",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Skyrmions in antiferromagnets: Thermal stability and the effect of external field and impurities

AU - Potkina, Maria N.

AU - Lobanov, Igor S.

AU - Jónsson, Hannes

AU - Uzdin, Valery M.

PY - 2020/6/7

Y1 - 2020/6/7

N2 - Calculations of skyrmions in antiferromagnets (AFMs) are presented, and their properties compared with skyrmions in corresponding ferromagnets (FMs). The rates of skyrmion collapse and escape through the boundary of a track, as well as the binding to and collapse at a non-magnetic impurity, are calculated as a function of an applied magnetic field. The activation energy for skyrmion annihilation is the same in AFMs and corresponding FMs in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The pre-exponential factor in the Arrhenius rate law is, however, different because skyrmion dynamics is different in the two systems. An applied magnetic field has opposite effects on skyrmions in the two types of materials. In AFMs, the rate of collapse of skyrmions as well as the rate of escape through the edge of a magnetic strip decreases slightly with increasing field, while these rates increase strongly for a skyrmion in the corresponding FMs when the field is directed antiparallel to the magnetization in the center of the skyrmion. A non-magnetic impurity is less likely to trap a skyrmion in AFMs, especially in the presence of a magnetic field. This, together with the established fact that a spin polarized current moves skyrmions in AFMs in the direction of the current, while in FMs skyrmions move at an angle to the current, demonstrates that skyrmions in AFMs have several advantageous properties over skyrmions in FMs for memory and spintronic devices.

AB - Calculations of skyrmions in antiferromagnets (AFMs) are presented, and their properties compared with skyrmions in corresponding ferromagnets (FMs). The rates of skyrmion collapse and escape through the boundary of a track, as well as the binding to and collapse at a non-magnetic impurity, are calculated as a function of an applied magnetic field. The activation energy for skyrmion annihilation is the same in AFMs and corresponding FMs in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The pre-exponential factor in the Arrhenius rate law is, however, different because skyrmion dynamics is different in the two systems. An applied magnetic field has opposite effects on skyrmions in the two types of materials. In AFMs, the rate of collapse of skyrmions as well as the rate of escape through the edge of a magnetic strip decreases slightly with increasing field, while these rates increase strongly for a skyrmion in the corresponding FMs when the field is directed antiparallel to the magnetization in the center of the skyrmion. A non-magnetic impurity is less likely to trap a skyrmion in AFMs, especially in the presence of a magnetic field. This, together with the established fact that a spin polarized current moves skyrmions in AFMs in the direction of the current, while in FMs skyrmions move at an angle to the current, demonstrates that skyrmions in AFMs have several advantageous properties over skyrmions in FMs for memory and spintronic devices.

UR - https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0009559

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092664734&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1063/5.0009559

DO - 10.1063/5.0009559

M3 - Article

VL - 127

JO - Journal of Applied Physics

JF - Journal of Applied Physics

SN - 0021-8979

IS - 21

M1 - 213906

ER -

ID: 70768700