Topological Magnetism Group

Abstract:

Magnetic skyrmions are particle-like, topologically protected magnetization entities that are promising candidates for information carriers in racetrack-memory schemes. The transport of skyrmions in a shift-register-like fashion is crucial for their embodiment in practical devices. Recently, we demonstrated experimentally that chiral skyrmions in Cu2OSeO3 can be effectively manipulated by a magnetic field gradient, leading to a collective rotation of the skyrmion lattice with well-defined dynamics in a radial field gradient. Here, we employ a skyrmion particle model to numerically study the effects of resultant shear forces on the structure of the skyrmion lattice. We demonstrate that anisotropic peak broadening in experimentally observed diffraction patterns can be attributed to extended linear regions in the magnetic field profile. We show that topological (5-7) defects emerge to protect the six-fold symmetry of the lattice under the application of local shear forces, further enhancing the stability of proposed magnetic field driven devices.

Abstract:

Magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) are a novel materials class in which a topologically nontrivial electronic band structure coexists with long‐range ferromagnetic order. The ferromagnetic ground state can break time‐reversal symmetry, opening a gap in the topological surface states whose size is dependent on the magnitude of the magnetic moment. Doping with rare earth ions is one way to introduce higher magnetic moments into a material, however, in Bi2Te3 bulk crystals, the solubility limit is only a few percent. Using molecular beam epitaxy for the growth of doped (Sb,Bi)2(Se,Te)3 TI thin films, high doping concentrations can be achieved while preserving their high crystalline quality. The growth, structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Dy, Ho, and Gd doped TI thin films will be reviewed. Indeed, high magnetic moments can be introduced into the TIs, which are, however, not ferromagnetically ordered. By making use of interfacial effects, magnetic long‐range order in Dy doped Bi2Te3, proximity‐coupled to the MTI Cr:Sb2Te3, has been achieved. Clearly, engineered MTI heterostructures offer new possibilities that combine the advantageous properties of different layers, and thus provide an ideal materials platform enabling the observation new quantum effects at higher temperatures.

Abstract:

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Abstract:

Ferromagnetic ordering in a topological insulator can break time-reversal symmetry, realizing dissipationless electronic states in the absence of a magnetic field. The control of the magnetic state is of great importance for future device applications. We provide a detailed systematic study of the magnetic state in highly doped CrxSb2−xTe3 thin films using electrical transport, magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements and terahertz time domain spectroscopy, and also report an efficient electric gating of ferromagnetic order using the electrolyte ionic liquid [DEME][TFSI]. Upon increasing the Cr concentration from x = 0.15 to 0.76, the Curie temperature (Tc) was observed to increase by ~5 times to 176 K. In addition, it was possible to modify the magnetic moment by up to 50% with a gate bias variation of just ±3 V, which corresponds to an increase in carrier density by 50%. Further analysis on a sample with x = 0.76 exhibits a clear insulator-metal transition at Tc, indicating the consistency between the electrical and optical measurements. The direct correlation obtained between the carrier density and ferromagnetism - in both electrostatic and chemical doping - using optical and electrical means strongly suggests a carrier-mediated Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida (RKKY) coupling scenario. Our low-voltage means of manipulating ferromagnetism, and consistency in optical and electrical measurements provides a way to realize exotic quantum states for spintronic and low energy magneto-electronic device applications.