Room-temperature observation and current control of skyrmions in Pt/Co/Os/Pt thin films (1711.07101v1)

Abstract: We report the observation of room-temperature magnetic skyrmions in Pt/Co/Os/Pt thin-film heterostructures and their response to electric currents. The magnetic properties are extremely sensitive to inserting thin Os layers between the Co-Pt interface resulting in reduced saturation magnetization, magnetic anisotropy and Curie temperature. The observed skyrmions exist in a narrow temperature, applied-field and layer-thickness range near the spin-reorientation transition from perpendicular to in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The skyrmions have an average diameter of 2.3{\mu}m and transport measurements demonstrate these features can be displaced with current densities as low as J = 2x10^4 A/cm^2 and display a skyrmion Hall effect.