Synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) are of interest in a wide variety of spintronic applications owing to their net zero magnetisation and inherent tunability arising from control over complex stacking sequences [1]. They show very fast domain wall (DW) motion in response to spin torques [2].
Here we describe measurements of the current-driven DW motion in each of the separate magnetic sublattices of a SAF with structure Ta/[Ru/Pt/CoB/Ru/Pt/CoFeB]×5/Ru/Pt which displays both perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). The thickness of the Ru layers is tuned to provide AF coupling between each pair of layers. The thicknesses of the alternating CoB and CoFeB layers are tuned to give net zero magnetisation (as measured by SQUID magnetometry) at a wide range of fields up to ~50 mT.
The magnetic films were grown on Si3N4 membranes and imaged with scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM). They were patterned into 2 µm wide wires with Cu leads attached to each end. The distinct chemical composition of the two sublattices means that we could use the element specificity of STXM to observe the CoFeB separately by imaging at the Fe L3 edge, whilst contrast at the Co L3 edge is dominated by the other sublattice of CoB layers. Inverted domain structures observed at these two edges with XMCD-STXM are shown in Fig. 1, confirm the SAF ordering of the layers. Current pulses drive domain wall motion, as shown in Fig. 2, with average velocities up to ~ 40 m/s achieved at current densities as low as 3 × 1011 A/m2. These results demonstrate a low depinning current and fast motion compared to comparable FM multilayers we have previously studied, suggesting that domain walls in SAF heterostructures are superior to their ferromagnetic equivalents for low energy consumption racetrack technologies. 
**References** [1] R. A. Duine et al., Nature Phys. 14, 217 (2018)
[2] S.-H. Yang et al., Nature Nanotech. 10, 221 (2015) 

![](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/underline.prod/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/51d4473074234e20aae132f63a4c33e1.png)

Current Driven Domain Wall Motion in a Synthetic Antiferromagnet Multilayer

Skyrmions are of great interest in spintronic devices because their small size and the high-speed motion when driven by a current or a spin-wave (SW). Skyrmion motion
along a narrow track is important for racetrack-type spintronic devices, since a skyrmion moving along the propagation direction of an injected electrical or SW current (forward) is the
means by which data are moving[1]. To design the devices, knowing how to adjust the skyrmion motion becomes important.
We carried out simulations of SW driven skyrmion motion using OOMMF [2], with fixed parameters D = 1.5 mJ/m2, MS = 1004 kA/m, A = 3.6 pJ/m, and Ku = 1 MJ/m3. We found that for tracks narrower than 50 nm the skyrmion always moves forwards. For wider tracks, the skyrmion will initially move both backward and close to the track edge, before moving forward at longer times once the track edge is reached, as shown in Fig 1. We attribute this to an additional repulsive force on the skyrmion from the track edge. For samples with Gilbert damping
constant α > 0.06, the skyrmion will move forward without retrograde motion.
The Thiele equation is a widely-used way to analyse skyrmion motion. The SW driving force on a skyrmion is usually the SW scattering force [3], but the strength of the scattering and the
energy change associated with changes in skyrmion size owing to absorbed SWs are hard to extract from magnetization data. Thus, we use the SW transmission T and reflection
coefficients R to make an estimate of the forces involved. We can obtain T from the ratio of the SW amplitude downstream of the skyrmion and without skyrmion at same position.
Similarly, we obtain R from the difference between magnetization data upstream of the skyrmion and without skyrmion.
As an example, we consider the data from a simulation with track width w = 100 nm and α = 0.03. By Analysing T and R, the decrease in T after ~30 ns, shown in Fig.2, will reduce the
effort that leads to the skyrmion moving backward. Meanwhile the increasing force from the sample edge also helps the skyrmion overcome the Spin-Ttansfer Torque between transmitted
SW and skyrmion[4], allowing it to move forwards. 
**References** 
1. Sampaio, J., Cros, V. et al. Nature Nanotech 8, 839–844 (2013) 
2. Donahue, M., Porter D. et al, National Institute of Standards and Technology(1999) 
3. Zhang, X. et al New J. Phys. 19, 065001 (2017) 
4. Yan, X., S. Wang et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 177207 (2011) 

![](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/underline.prod/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/d19058f8a75b91bfae124e6b897fb99c.png) 
The snapshots of w = 40 nm, 90 nm tracks 

![](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/underline.prod/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/1486ee39a892911ac9e318a9a335f631.png) 
Time-dependent SW T, R, A and skyrmion acceleration data

Transient retrograde motion of spin wave driven skyrmions in multilayer wave guides

It has been predicted and measured that topologically non-trivial magnetisations can provide an extra contribution to the Hall resistivity (Rxy), called the topological Hall effect (THE)1. Skyrmions have a topology defined by the winding number, S, which takes an integer value dependent upon the number of total ‘twists’ in their magnetisation. The THE has been shown to be present in many B20 materials with bulk Dzyaloshinkii-Moriya Interaction (DMI) hosting skyrmions but the picture is less clear for multilayers with interfacial DMI. Observations by Maccariello et al. saw resistivity effects that could be accounted for by only the ordinary and anomalous Hall effects (OHE & AHE)2. In contrast, work by Zeissler et al. saw an extra contribution beyond the OHE and AHE that was larger than the THE predicted by theory3. In this work, Hall transport measurements combined with imaging of the magnetic texture were used to identify such contributions to understand discrepancies between the predicted1, and observed2,3, magnitudes of the topological contribution. Measurements of Rxy(B) were performed in [Pt|CoB|Ir]xN multilayers with different repeat numbers, N, over a range of temperatures from 290 K to 2 K. Figure 1 shows the temperature dependence of the anomalous Hall resistivity at saturation, ρA, with an increase in size at T &lt; 20 K, for a sample with N=4. The Rxy measurements for the same sample were analysed in combination with SQUIDVSM magnetometry data to produce Figure 2. The maximum excess Hall resistivity, ρexcess, is observed to increase with temperature and cannot be accounted for by the ordinary and anomalous Hall effects alone. This implies an extra Hall effect that may be topological in nature suggesting that the maximum density of topological magnetisation textures increases with temperature.

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/1a86da2275fb423bada15ee48b4609a9.jpg)

Fig. 1 Anomalous Hall resistivity at saturation, ρA, vs T showing an increase in size for T < 20 K, in samples of Ta|Pt|[CoB|Ir|Pt]x4 Pt multilayers.

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/d834fd8cf6941127ea0fd52e6ae23c9a.jpg)

Fig. 2 Excess Hall resistivity (possibly topological in nature) that cannot be accounted for by ordinary or anomalous Hall effects, ρexcess, vs T, showing an increase in the height of the maximum peak as temperature increases.

Observation of Increasing Topological Hall Resistivity with Temperature in Skyrmion Hosting Magnetic Multilayers with [Pt|CoB|Ir]xN Structure

Synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) are of interest in a wide variety of spintronic applications owing to their net zero magnetisation and inherent tunability arising from control over complex stacking sequences [1]. They show very fast domain wall (DW) motion in response to spin torques [2]. Here we describe current-driven DW motion in an SAF with stack structure Ta/[Ru/Pt/CoB/Ru/Pt/CoFeB]×5/Ru/Pt which displays both perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). The alternating CoB and CoFeB layers had their thicknesses adjusted to give net zero magnetisation (as determined by SQUID-VSM) for applied fields up to ~500 Oe. They were patterned into 2 µm wide wires with Cu leads attached to each end. These were fabricated on Si3N4 membranes to permit imaging of DW motion using scanning x-ray transmission microscopy. The distinct chemical composition of the two sublattices means that we could use the element specificity of this technique to observe the CoFeB separately whilst imaging at the Fe L3 edge, whilst contrast at the Co L3 edge is dominated by the other sublattice. Inverted domain structures observed at these two edges, as shown in Fig. 1, confirm the SAF ordering of the layers. Current pulses drive domain wall motion, as shown in Fig. 2, with velocities up to ~ 20 m/s achieved at current densities as low as 4 × 1011 A/m2.

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/d87de30dbef334ff75e4447e90cf2feb.jpg)

Fig. 1: STXM images acquired at zero field the Co and Fe L3 edges, which probe different sublattices of the SAF. A finger-shaped Cu lead is visible on the left. 1 µm scale bar.

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/04b915124bc7866fb80c310fb03a761b.jpg)

Fig. 2: DW velocity against current density measured using 5 ns current pulses.

Current-Driven Domain Wall Motion in a Synthetic Antiferromagnet Multilayer

One of the tools to move a skyrmion is an injected current[1,2], which gives rise to the risk of producing excessive heat. On the other hand, spin-waves (SW) are a promising way to drive skyrmions without producing such high temperatures and hence affecting the skyrmionic device's performance. Most recent work on SW-driven skyrmion motion is based on micromagnetic simulations on single-layers with either small magnetic track width (W), high SW excitation rf field (Arf), or low Gilbert damping constant α[3,4]. However, to complement the realization of skyrmion motion experimentally, simulations should meet experimentally achievable conditions at the same time: W ≥100nm, Arf ≤100mT and α &gt;0.05. The dataset and characteristic analysis we present concern SW driven skyrmion simulations by OOMMF[5] with fixed parameters, D=1.5 mJ/m2, MS=1004 KA/m, A=3.6 pJ/m, Ku=1 MJ/m3. We varied the α=0.02-0.06, W=40-100 nm and Arf=100-800 mT. The size of the relaxed skyrmion is from 20nm to 23nm when W increases from 40nm to 100nm, so there is more than 5 nm between the skyrmion to each sample edge at initial stage. Fig.1 shows the skyrmion displacement (dsky) with time along the SW propagation direction for various W is shown. When W &gt;50 nm, the skyrmion will initially move opposite to the SW propagation direction before moving forward at longer times. Fig.2 shows that with larger α, the skyrmion will have smaller initial velocity when moving backward. If the leading edge of the skyrmion is regarded as a planar wall on the sample, the domain wall (DW) plane is predicted to rotate when linear momentum transfer between the SW and DW occurs. The angle between the DW wall plane and the out-of-sample direction is defined as DW wall plane angle (ΦDW)[6]. Also, the inset shows that ΦDW of skyrmion leading edge has similar behaviour to the dsky, but with an offset. The skyrmion backward motion gives a possible observation result in the future and guidance about finding a balance between W and magnetic properties to have skyrmions with aiming motion type.

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/20d3a9acd993b9c5372ac498eb39b2f1.jpg)

Fig.1 Time-dependent skyrmion displacement in nm for various W.

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/3a0f9f542c8a882ca49dfb2dc79008fd.jpg)

Fig.2 Skyrmion displacement with time for various α. Inset: comparison between ΦDW and skyrmion displacement when α=0.06.

Transient retrograde motion of spin wave-driven skyrmions in multilayer wave guides

**Please click on the poster to see the abstract or leave your comment to the author.** 
**Session Chair:** Takeshi Seki, *Tohoku University*

EPA: Antiferromagnetic Spintronics III

poster

#### Welcome to the 67th Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, MMM 2022!

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MMM 2022 is sponsored jointly by AIP Publishing and the IEEE Magnetics Society. Members of the international scientific and engineering communities interested in recent developments in fundamental and applied magnetism are invited to attend and contribute to the technical sessions. The technical program will include invited and contributed papers in oral and poster sessions, invited symposia, a tutorial, and several special sessions. This Conference provides an outstanding opportunity for worldwide participants to meet their colleagues and collaborators and discuss developments in all areas of magnetism research.

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**Session Co-Chairs:** Joseph Sklenar, *Wayne State University* and Shuyuan Shi, *Beihang University*

GPA: Magnetization Dynamics VI

**Session chair:** Max Hirschberger, The University of Tokyo



GOF - Skyrmions, Antiskyrmions and Topology

technical paper

The 15th Joint MMM-INTERMAG Conference (2022 Joint) is sponsored jointly by AIP Publishing and the IEEE Magnetics Society. Members of the international scientific and engineering communities interested in recent developments in fundamental and applied magnetism are invited to attend and contribute to the technical sessions. The technical program will include invited and contributed papers in oral and poster sessions, invited symposia, a plenary session, and an evening session, with about 1500 presentations overall. This Conference provides an outstanding opportunity for worldwide participants to meet their colleagues and collaborators and discuss developments in all areas of magnetism research.

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2022 Joint MMM-INTERMAG

**Session chair:** Jean-Yves Chauleau, CEA-SPEC


HOF - Dynamics in AF-coupled Materials

**Session chairs:** Liliana Buda-Prejbeanu, SPINtronique et Technologie des Composants and Yoshinobu Nakatani, The University of Electro-Communications



Gavin Burnell

5

1

Presentations

Current Driven Domain Wall Motion in a Synthetic Antiferromagnet Multilayer

Transient retrograde motion of spin wave driven skyrmions in multilayer wave guides

Observation of Increasing Topological Hall Resistivity with Temperature in Skyrmion Hosting Magnetic Multilayers with [Pt|CoB|Ir]xN Structure

Current-Driven Domain Wall Motion in a Synthetic Antiferromagnet Multilayer

Transient retrograde motion of spin wave-driven skyrmions in multilayer wave guides

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