Distinct magnetic field dependence of N\'eel skyrmion sizes in ultrathin nanodots

TL;DR

This study explores how Ne9el skyrmion sizes in ultrathin magnetic nanodots depend on perpendicular magnetic fields, revealing two distinct behaviors linked to stability and dot size, with implications for magnetic storage technologies.

Contribution

It uncovers two different magnetic field dependencies of skyrmion sizes and their relation to stability and dot dimensions in ultrathin magnetic nanodots.

Findings

Stable skyrmions' radius increases with field until metastability

Metastable skyrmions show hysteresis and size jumps at critical fields

Skyrmion size dependence on dot diameter varies with stability

Abstract

We investigate the dependence of the N\'eel skyrmion size and stability on perpendicular magnetic field in ultrathin circular magnetic dots with out-of-plane anisotropy and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya exchange interaction. Our results show the existence of two distinct dependencies of the skyrmion radius on the applied field and dot size. In the case of skyrmions stable at zero field, their radius strongly increases with the field applied parallel to the skyrmion core until skyrmion reaches the metastability region and this dependence slows down. More common metastable skyrmions demonstrate a weaker increase of their size as a function of the field until some critical field value at which these skyrmions drastically increase in size showing a hysteretic behavior with coexistence of small and large radius skyrmions and small energy barriers between them. The first case is also characterized by a strong dependence of the skyrmion radius on the dot diameter, while in the second case this dependence is very weak.