The skyrmion switch: turning magnetic skyrmion bubbles on and off with electric field

Nanoscale magnetic skyrmions are considered as potential future information carriers for spintronics memory devices. While the theory on magnetic skyrmions has been developed almost 30 years ago, the recent observation of nanoscale skyrmions at room temperature and their displacement with low electrical current densities has motivated a revival of theoretical studies. Despite the existence of a well-developed formalism on magnetic skyrmions, some questions remain open in particular concerning their stability. 

I will start by a didactic overview of magnetic skyrmion theory and experiments with an emphasis on the different possible energies involved in their stabilisation. The second part will be devoted our recent experimental results on the control of the stability of skyrmionics bubbles (large skyrmions) using electric field gating.

I will present a detailed stability diagram of the skyrmion bubbles in a Pt/Co/oxide trilayer which is quantitatively explained by an analytical model taking into account the dipolar and Dzyaloshinsky-Moria interactions which both contribute to the skyrmion bubble stability. Then I will make the demonstration of the skyrmion switch effect which allows us to write and erase skyrmions using only electric field.