Interaction of Skyrmions and Pearl Vortices in Superconductor-Chiral Ferromagnet Heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper explores the interaction between magnetic skyrmions and Pearl vortices in a superconductor-chiral ferromagnet heterostructure, revealing spontaneous vortex formation and potential control of skyrmion size via superconducting proximity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hybrid structure where skyrmions induce Pearl vortices, demonstrating their stable coexistence and mutual influence, which can be used to manipulate skyrmion properties.

Findings

Pearl vortices form within skyrmion radius

Anti-Pearl vortices form outside skyrmion radius

Skyrmion size can be controlled by proximity to superconductor

Abstract

We investigate a hybrid heterostructure with magnetic skyrmions (Sk) inside a chiral ferromagnet interfaced by a thin superconducting film via an insulating barrier. The barrier prevents the electronic transport between the superconductor and the chiral magnet, such that the coupling can only occur through the magnetic fields generated by these materials. We find that Pearl vortices (PV) are generated spontaneously in the superconductor within the skyrmion radius, while anti-Pearl vortices (\(\overline{\mathrm{PV}}\)) compensating the magnetic moment of the Pearl vortices are generated outside of the Sk radius, forming an energetically stable topological hybrid structure. Finally, we analyze the interplay of skyrmion and vortex lattices and their mutual feedback on each other. In particular, we argue that the size of the skyrmions will be greatly affected by the presence of the vortices offering another prospect of manipulating the skyrmionic size by the proximity to a superconductor.