Inducing skyrmions in ultrathin Fe films by hydrogen exposure
Abstract
Magnetic skyrmions are localized nanometer-sized spin configurations with particlelike properties, which are envisioned to be used as bits in nextgeneration information technology. An essential step towards future skyrmion-based applications is to engineer key magnetic parameters for developing and stabilizing individual magnetic skyrmions. Here we demonstrate the tuning of the noncollinear magnetic state of an Fe double layer on an Ir111 substrate by loading the sample with atomic hydrogen. By using spinpolarized scanning tunneling microscopy, we discover that the hydrogenated system supports the formation of skyrmions in external magnetic fields, while the pristine Fe double layer does not. Based on ab initio calculations, we attribute this effect to the tuning of the Heisenberg exchange and the DzyaloshinskyMoriya interactions due to hydrogenation. In addition to interface engineering, hydrogenation of thin magnetic films offers a unique pathway to design and optimize the skyrmionic states in lowdimensional magnetic materials.
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