Electric Field Control of Magnetic Skyrmion Helicity in a Centrosymmetric 2D van der Waals Magnet
Two-dimensional van der Waals magnets hosting topological magnetic textures, such as skyrmions, show promise for spintronics and quantum computing. Electrical control of these topological spin textures is crucial for enhancing operational performance and functionality. Here, using electron microscopy combined with <i>in situ</i> electric and magnetic biasing, we show that the skyrmion helicity in insulating Cr<sub>2</sub>Ge<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>6</sub> can be controlled by the direction of the external electric field applied during the field cooling process. The electric field-tuned helicity remains stable at low temperature, even amid variations in magnetic and electric fields. Our theoretical investigation reveals that nonzero Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions between nearest neighbors, induced by the electric field, change their sign upon reversing the electric field direction, thereby facilitating helicity selection. The electrical control of magnetic helicity demonstrated in this study can be extended to other centrosymmetric skyrmion-hosting magnets, paving the way for future device designs in topological spintronics and quantum computing.
Authors
- Frances M. Ross (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0838-9770)
- Myung‐Geun Han (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3736-3281)
- Fernando Camino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0575-2976)
- Joachim Dahl Thomsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0095-1191)
- Chuhang Liu
- Lukáš Děkanovský (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4382-1303)
- John P. Philbin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8779-0708)
- Zdeněk Sofer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1391-4448)
- Prineha Narang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3956-4594)
- Junsik Mun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2639-0280)
- Yimei Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1638-7217)
- Eugene Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6573-9162)
Institutions
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
- University of California System (US)
- Physical Sciences (United States) (US)
- Yukhnovskii Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (UA)
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials
- Stony Brook University (US)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (CZ)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2025-03-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c06200
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- 2D Materials and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.07
Funders
- John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
- Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy
- Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems
- Basic Energy Sciences