Skyrmions in twisted van der Waals magnets

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that magnetic skyrmions can be stabilized in twisted van der Waals heterostructures without external magnetic fields, leveraging moiré superlattice effects and interlayer coupling.

Contribution

It introduces a new mechanism for skyrmion stabilization in 2D magnets using moiré patterns and interlayer exchange, without the need for magnetic fields.

Findings

Skyrmions are stabilized in twisted ferromagnet-antiferromagnet heterostructures.

A large skyrmion crystal phase exists when moiré and skyrmion length scales match.

Enhanced skyrmion stability occurs with easy-axis anisotropy in moiré superlattices.

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions in 2D chiral magnets are in general stabilized by a combination of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and external magnetic field. Here, we show that skyrmions can also be stabilized in twisted moir\'e superlattices in the absence of an external magnetic field. Our setup consists of a 2D ferromagnetic layer twisted on top of an antiferromagnetic substrate. The coupling between the ferromagnetic layer and the substrate generates an effective alternating exchange field. We find a large region of skyrmion crystal phase when the length scales of the moir\'e periodicity and skyrmions are compatible. Unlike chiral magnets under magnetic field, skyrmions in moir\'e superlattices show enhanced stability for the easy-axis (Ising) anisotropy which can be essential to realize skyrmions since most van der Waals magnets possess easy-axis anisotropy.