Inducing skyrmions in ultrathin Fe films by hydrogen exposure

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that hydrogen exposure can induce and stabilize skyrmions in ultrathin Fe films by tuning magnetic interactions, offering a new method for designing skyrmionic states in magnetic materials.

Contribution

It introduces hydrogenation as a novel approach to engineer and stabilize skyrmions in ultrathin magnetic films, supported by experimental and theoretical evidence.

Findings

Hydrogenation enables skyrmion formation in Fe double layers.

Hydrogen tuning affects Heisenberg exchange and Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions.

Pristine Fe layers do not support skyrmions without hydrogen exposure.

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are localized nanometer-sized spin configurations with particle_like properties, which are envisioned to be used as bits in next_generation 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 non_collinear magnetic state of an Fe double layer on an Ir111 substrate by loading the sample with atomic hydrogen. By using spin_polarized 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 Dzyaloshinsky_Moriya 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 low_dimensional magnetic materials.