Project title: Realization of Novel Low Dimensional Skyrmion Systems
Main applicant: Yasmine Sassa, Division of Molecular and Condensed Matter Physics
Grant amount: 3 400 000 SEK for the period 2017-2021
Funder: Starting grant from the Swedish Research Council
Project description
One of the challenges of today’s technology is to find new materials that could improve storage, information flow and energy efficiency. Materials hosting magnetic skyrmions have been put forward due to their unique properties. However, the mechanism for the emergence and stabilization of skyrmions in low-dimensional systems (thin-films/interfaces) are still unclear, and so far greatly limited, which makes their implementation in spintronic devices challenging.
This project aims to realize and investigate the emergence and stabilization of skyrmions in novel thin-films/heterostructures based on transition metal compounds. A particular focus will be on 5d transition metal oxides because of the strong spin orbit interactions. Furthermore, the proposed project defines an ambitious program tightly connected with the new instrumental developments that Sweden is implementing with the MAX IV and European Spallation Source (ESS). Both X-ray and neutron scattering, but also the muon spin rotation techniques, will be used to investigate the physical properties of skyrmions. The thin-films/heterostructures will be grown by pulsed laser deposition on selected substrates to study how strain, dimensionality and interface effects can tune the skyrmion lattices. The experimental results will be connected to theoretical methods/simulation to improve understanding as well as develop novel state-of-the-art models based on dynamical mean-field theory and atomistic spin dynamics.