Multistep skyrmion phase transition driven by light-induced uniaxial strain
Strain engineering in skyrmion-hosting multilayers holds promising potential for spintronic devices. However, conventional strain is below 0.5%, limiting exploration of unique properties under substantial strain. In addition, while uniaxial strain modifies magnetic interactions anisotropically, its influence on skyrmions is underexplored. Here, we integrate skyrmion-hosting multilayers with a flexible liquid crystal film, enabling multistep skyrmion phase transitions through light-induced uniaxial strain up to 1%. Our results demonstrate that skyrmion transitions are sensitive to strain magnitude and orientation. Strain below 0.6% parallel to stripes transforms them into skyrmions. Above 0.6%, skyrmions elongate perpendicularly to the strain direction, exhibiting a negative Poisson effect, with deformation up to 40% at 0.8% strain. Further strain reverts skyrmions back into stripes. Micromagnetic simulations reveal that these phenomena stem from strain-induced anisotropic modulation of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. This approach, which combines flexibility, light activation, and substantial uniaxial strain, offers a promising strategy for low-power, multistate spintronic devices.
Authors
- Xuewen Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6116-4680)
- Yangfan Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8954-4028)
- Jiahui Meng
- Jun‐Ming Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8988-8429)
- Jiawen Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1233-5599)
- Xiaoyan Zhong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8990-2198)
- Minghui Qin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8306-125X)
- Zhipeng Hou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4935-2149)
- Fu‐Rong Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4707-6590)
- Xingsen Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2725-0785)
- Qingping Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6567-6479)
- Yu Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3203-6791)
- Yadong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9597-0461)
- Bei Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9280-5494)
- Xuejin Wan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5422-1680)
- X XU (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9928-2736)
Institutions
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- South China Normal University (CN)
- Nankai University (CN)
- Dongguan University of Technology (CN)
- Aba Teachers University (CN)
- Guizhou Electromechanical Research and Design Institute (CN)
- Xian Mechanical & Electric Institute (China) (CN)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures (CN)
- Nanjing University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2025-05-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt2698
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Magnetic properties of thin films
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.48