Proximity induced moment at Pt/Co interfaces and isolated skyrmion bubble stabilization at zero magnetic field

Author(s)

Dugato, Danian A. ; Brandao, Jeovani ; Beron, Fanny ; da Silva, Ricardo B. ; Flewett, Samuel ; Shapiro, David A. ; Cezar, Julio C. ; Dorneles, Lucio S. ; Mori, Thiago J. A.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials; v. 566, p. 8-pg., 2022-12-27.

Abstract

Magnetic multilayers with heavy metal/ferromagnetic interfaces play an important role in data storage and spintronics due to magnetic phenomena such as perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and magnetic skyrmion stabilization. Properties such as saturation magnetization (Ms), PMA, and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii- Moriya interaction (iDMI) can be tuned by stacking engineering to tailor the multilayer magnetic ground state. Here, it is demonstrated that isolated skyrmion bubbles can be stabilized at zero magnetic field in nominally symmetric Pt/Co/Pt multilayers grown by magnetron sputtering. Interface disorder and asymmetry are strongly enhanced as the Co layer is thinned, leading to nonzero iDMI and Pt proximity induced moment (PIM) that affects both the multilayer Ms and PMA. The interplay between PIM and the iDMI is behind the nucleation of skyrmion bubbles, highlighting the importance of controlling the interface phenomena to develop devices for future applications. These results also manifest the importance of considering the PIM to determine the correct magnetic parameters of ultrathin films on the zero-field spin textures stability. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/07397-7 - Control and imaging of interfacial patterned skyrmionic textures in perpendicular magnetic anisotropy multilayer systems
• Grantee: Fanny Béron
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/10581-1 - Emergent phenomena in reduced dimension systems
• Grantee: Pascoal Jose Giglio Pagliuso
• Support Opportunities: Special Projects