Tailoring topological Hall effect in SrRuO3/SrTiO3 superlattices

TL;DR

This paper explores how the topological Hall effect in SrRuO3/SrTiO3 superlattices can be tuned by controlling magnetic interactions, revealing a z-dependent modulation of skyrmion phases through experimental and simulation approaches.

Contribution

It demonstrates a systematic method to modulate topological magnetic phases in heterostructures by controlling magnetic interactions, combining experimental observations with Monte Carlo simulations.

Findings

Hall effect varies nonmonotonically with superlattice repetition number

Interplay between Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya and dipole-dipole interactions influences magnetic phases

Facile control over skyrmion phases achieved in heterostructures

Abstract

Investigating the effects of the complex magnetic interactions on the formation of nontrivial magnetic phases enables a better understanding of magnetic materials. Moreover, an effective method to systematically control those interactions and phases could be extensively utilized in spintronic devices. SrRuO3 heterostructures function as a suitable material system to investigate the complex magnetic interactions and the resultant formation of topological magnetic phases, as the heterostructuring approach provides an accessible controllability to modulate the magnetic interactions. In this study, we have observed that the Hall effect of SrRuO3/SrTiO3 superlattices varies nonmonotonically with the repetition number (z). Using Monte Carlo simulations, we identify a possible origin of this experimental observation: the interplay between the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and dipole-dipole interaction, which have differing z-dependence, might result in a z-dependent modulation of topological magnetic phases. This approach provides not only a collective understanding of the magnetic interactions in artificial heterostructures but also a facile control over the skyrmion phases.