2/3/2025 | 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Regency B

Magnetic nanoscale x-ray metrology of unconventional topological spin textures

Author(s)

Peter Fischer | LBNL

Abstract

Magnetic Skyrmions, traditionally treated as 2D structures, exhibit complex 3D spin textures when applied to real systems with finite thickness. Recent synthesis advancements enable precise 3D material engineering, essential for exploring Skyrmions’ full potential in next-generation spintronics. Understanding 3D Skyrmions opens pathways for topological spintronic devices with enhanced functionality, unachievable in 2D alone. Emerging 3D structures include Skyrmion tubes, Hopfions, torons, and artificially designed magnetic nanostructures.

Utilizing soft X-ray laminography, this study reconstructs the 3D spin texture of a Skyrmion in a 95 nm thin disk with a spatial resolution of 20 nm. Analysis reveals a non-uniform radial profile for the topological Skyrmion number across the disk thickness, linked to varied micromagnetic energy densities. This discovery aligns with theoretical models and micromagnetic simulations, underscoring the need for nanoscale magnetic metrology. These findings lay the groundwork for designing advanced spintronic devices that harness 3D topological characteristics as functional elements.

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division under Contract No. DE-AC02-05-CH11231 and used the Molecular Foundry.