Micromagnetic Design of Skyrmionic Materials and Chiral Magnetic Configurations in Patterned Nanostructures for Neuromorphic and Qubit Applications

Abstract

Our study addresses the problematics of magnetic skyrmions, nanometer-size vortex-like swirling topological defects, broadly studied today for applications in classic, neuromorphic and quantum information technologies. We tackle some challenging issues of material properties versus skyrmion stability and manipulation within a multiple-scale modeling framework, involving complementary ab-initio and micromagnetic frameworks. Ab-initio calculations provide insight into the anatomy of the magnetic anisotropy, the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya asymmetric exchange interaction (DMI) and their response to a gating electric field. Various multi-layered heterostructures were specially designed to provide electric field tunable perpendicular magnetization and sizeable DMI, which are required for skyrmion occurrence. Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert micromagnetic calculations in nanometric disks allowed the extraction of material parameter phase diagrams in which magnetic textures were classified according to their topological charge. We identified suitable ranges of magnetic anisotropy, DMI and saturation magnetization for stabilizing skyrmionic ground states or writing/manipulating them using either a spin-transfer torque of a perpendicular current or the electric field. From analyzing the different contributions to the total magnetic free energy, we point out some critical properties influencing the skyrmions’ stability. Finally, we discuss some experimental issues related to the choice of materials or the design of novel magnetic materials compatible with skyrmionic applications.