Measuring the formation energy barrier of skyrmions in zinc-substituted Cu2OSeO3

Wilson, M.N.; Crisanti, M.; Barker, C.; Štefančič, A.; White, J.S.; Birch, M.T.; Balakrishnan, G.; Cubitt, R.; Hatton, P.D.

doi:10.1103/physrevb.99.174421

Measuring the formation energy barrier of skyrmions in zinc-substituted Cu2OSeO3

Wilson, M.N.; Crisanti, M.; Barker, C.; Štefančič, A.; White, J.S.; Birch, M.T.; Balakrishnan, G.; Cubitt, R.; Hatton, P.D.

Authors

M.N. Wilson

M. Crisanti

C. Barker

A. Štefančič

J.S. White

M.T. Birch

G. Balakrishnan

R. Cubitt

Professor Peter Hatton p.d.hatton@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Abstract

We report small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements of the skyrmion lattice in (Cu0.976Zn0.024 )2OSeO3 under the application of electric and magnetic fields. These measurements show an expansion of the skyrmion lattice stability region with electric field. Furthermore, using time-resolved SANS, we observe the slow formation of skyrmions after an electric or magnetic field is applied, which has not been observed in pristine Cu2OSeO3 crystals. The measured formation times are dramatically longer than the corresponding skyrmion annihilation times after the external field is removed, and increase exponentially from 100 s at 52.5 K to 10 000 s at 51.5 K. This thermally activated behavior indicates an energy barrier for skyrmion formation of 1.57(2) eV, the size of which demonstrates the huge cost for creating these complex chiral objects.

Citation

Wilson, M., Crisanti, M., Barker, C., Štefančič, A., White, J., Birch, M., …Hatton, P. (2019). Measuring the formation energy barrier of skyrmions in zinc-substituted Cu2OSeO3. Physical Review B, 99(17), Article 174421. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.99.174421

Journal Article Type	Article
Online Publication Date	May 22, 2019
Publication Date	May 1, 2019
Deposit Date	May 24, 2019
Publicly Available Date	May 24, 2019
Journal	Physical Review B
Print ISSN	2469-9950
Electronic ISSN	2469-9969
Publisher	American Physical Society
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	99
Issue	17
Article Number	174421
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.99.174421

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Copyright Statement
Reprinted with permission from the American Physical Society: Wilson, M. N., Crisanti, M., Barker, C., Štefančič, A., White, J. S., Birch, M. T., Balakrishnan, G., Cubitt, R. & Hatton, P. D. (2019). Measuring the formation energy barrier of skyrmions in zinc-substituted Cu2OSeO3. Physical Review B 99(17): 174421 © 2019 by the American Physical Society. Readers may view, browse, and/or download material for temporary copying purposes only, provided these uses are for noncommercial personal purposes. Except as provided by law, this material may not be further reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, adapted, performed, displayed, published, or sold in whole or part, without prior written permission from the American Physical Society.