Skyrmion lattice is a spin configuration that exists in B20 materials. Due to its special topological stability and low energy consumption, the configuration has potential in magnetic memory and spin device.

A recent study demonstrated that uniaxial anisotropy can stabilize Skyrmion phase in 1D nano-wire. With large surface-to-volume ratio of these nano-structures, an effective magnetic anisotropy is responsible for stabilization. Using cantilever torque magnetometry, researchers obtained phase diagrams for 1D MnSi nanowire parallel and perpendicular to the external magnetic field, respectively. Skyrmion phase is confined to a small region of magnetic field approaching to critical temperature in nanowire which is perpendicular to the field and similar to the one observed in bulk MnSi. While Skyrmion phase can be stabilized and extended from around 29 K down to at least 0.4 K when the nanowire is parallel to the field. These findings place an foundation for further study of geometry-engineering of Skyrmion phase and its stability.

The study was conducted by Prof. XUE Fei from High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy  of Sciences (CHMFL), Prof. Martino Poggio from University of Basel, and Prof. JIN Song from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The findings of this study entitled “Stabilized Skyrmion Phase Detected in MnSi Nanowires by Dynamic Cantilever Magnetometry” have been published in Nano Letter.

Schematic of cantilever torque magnetometry (left) and phase diagram for MnSi nanowire parallel to the field (right) (Imaged by the Study Team)

Contact:

Prof. Fei Xue, PhD

High Magnetic Field laboratory, CAS

P.O. Box 1110, 350 Shushanhu Road,

Hefei, Anhui 230031 China

Phone: +86-551- 65595379

Email: xuef@hmfl.ac.cn