Chiral Spin Textures in Amorphous Iron

Scientific Achievement

Amorphous FexGe1-x films (a) in-plane magnetic hysteresis at 300K (solid) and 110K (dashed), (b) electron diffraction pattern, (c) orbital-to-spin moment ratio from XMCD, (d,e,f) electron phase with in-plane magnetization vectors from Lorentz TEM, (d) helical spins with Bloch-type skyrmions, (e,f) isolated anisotropic skyrmions.

Provided experimental evidence for stable 3D non-collinear spin textures in structurally and chemically disordered amorphous FexGe1-x films

Significance and Impact

Represents a milestone toward harnessing theoretically predicted higher-order, anisotropic topological states with greater flexibility in synthesis of quantum materials for future technological devices

Research Details

Synthesized amorphous FexGe1-x thick films with short-range order similar to B20 single crystals
XMCD showed no net orbital moment indicative of electron orbital disorder, whereas Lorentz TEM showed chiral spin textures
Found a rich x, T, H phase diagram with helical and skyrmion phases and an unexpected transition at low T to a state with rapid fluctuations

R. Streubel, D.S. Bouma, F. Bruni, X. Chen, P. Ercius, J. Ciston, A.T. N’Diaye, S. Roy, S.D. Kevan, P. Fischer, F. Hellman, Advanced Materials 2004830 (2021)

Scientific Achievement

Significance and Impact

Research Details

R. Streubel, D.S. Bouma, F. Bruni, X. Chen, P. Ercius, J. Ciston, A.T. N’Diaye, S. Roy, S.D. Kevan, P. Fischer, F. Hellman, Advanced Materials 2004830 (2021)

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