Electrical detection and nucleation of a magnetic skyrmion in a magnetic tunnel junction observed via operando magnetic microscopy

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates electrical detection, nucleation, and manipulation of magnetic skyrmions in a magnetic tunnel junction using operando magnetic microscopy, advancing skyrmion-based memory technology.

Contribution

It introduces a method for electrical detection and voltage-controlled nucleation of skyrmions within a single magnetic tunnel junction device.

Findings

Electrical detection of a single skyrmion achieved.

Voltage control enables skyrmion nucleation and annihilation.

Tunable resistance states demonstrated via skyrmion manipulation.

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are topological spin textures which are envisioned as nanometre scale information carriers in magnetic memory and logic devices. The recent demonstration of room temperature stabilization of skyrmions and their current induced manipulation in industry compatible ultrathin films were first steps towards the realisation of such devices. However, important challenges remain regarding the electrical detection and the low-power nucleation of skyrmions, which are required for the read and write operations. Here, we demonstrate, using operando magnetic microscopy experiments, the electrical detection of a single magnetic skyrmion in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and its nucleation and annihilation by gate voltage via voltage control of magnetic anisotropy. The nucleated skyrmion can be further manipulated by both gate voltage and external magnetic field, leading to tunable intermediate resistance states. Our results unambiguously demonstrate the readout and voltage controlled write operations in a single MTJ device, which is a major milestone for low power skyrmion based technologies.