Controlled Ordering of Room-Temperature Magnetic Skyrmions in a Polar Van der Waals Magnet

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the controlled formation of an ordered skyrmion crystal at room temperature in a polar Van der Waals magnet, highlighting potential for device applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to engineer and control skyrmion order-disorder transitions at room temperature in a 2D magnetic material.

Findings

Ordered skyrmion crystal achieved at room temperature

Control over skyrmion lattice via structural confinement

Potential for skyrmion-based device applications

Abstract

Control and understanding of ensembles of skyrmions is important for realization of future technologies. In particular, the order-disorder transition associated with the 2D lattice of magnetic skyrmions can have significant implications for transport and other dynamic functionalities. To date, skyrmion ensembles have been primarily studied in bulk crystals, or as isolated skyrmions in thin film devices. Here, we investigate the condensation of the skyrmion phase at room temperature and zero field in a polar, Van der Waals magnet. We demonstrate that we can engineer an ordered skyrmion crystal through structural confinement on the $\mu$m scale, showing control over this order-disorder transition on scales relevant for device applications.