Suchergebnisse

The design of complex, competing effects in magnetic systems – be it via the introduction of nonlinear interactions, or the patterning of three-dimensional geometries – is an emerging route to achieve new functionalities. Here, we combine 3D geometric effects with non-linear and non-local interactions to produce magnetic field textures in free space. For this, we harness direct write nanofabrication techniques, creating intertwined nanomagnetic cobalt double helices, where curvature, torsion, chirality, and magnetic coupling are jointly exploited. By reconstructing the 3D vectorial magnetic state of the double helices with soft X-ray magnetic laminography, we identify the presence of a regular array of highly coupled locked domain wall pairs in neighbouring helices. Micromagnetic simulations reveal that the magnetisation configuration leads to the formation of an array of complex textures in the magnetic induction, consisting of vortices in the magnetisation and antivortices in free space, which together, form an effective B-field cross-tie wall. The design and creation of complex three-dimensional magnetic field nanotextures opens new possibilities for smart materials, unconventional computing, particle trapping and magnetic imaging. ; This work was funded by an EPSRC Early Career Fellowship EP/M008517/1 and the Winton Program for the Physics of Sustainability. C.D. acknowledges funding from the Leverhulme Trust (ECF-2018-016), the Isaac Newton Trust (18-08), the L'Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland Fellowship For Women In Science 2019, and the Max Planck Society Lise Meitner Excellence Program. A.F.P. acknowledges funding by the European Community under the Horizon 2020 Program, Contract no. 101001290, 3DNANOMAG. A.H.-R. and S.MV. acknowledge the support from European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant ref. H2020-MSCA-IF-2016-746958. A.H.-R. acknowledges funding from Spanish AEI under project reference PID2019–104604RB/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The PolLux end station was financed by the German Ministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) through contracts 05K16WED and 05K19WE2. K.W. acknowledges the funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 701647. A.F.P. is grateful to the University of Cambridge and the University of Glasgow, where part of this research was performed. ; Peer reviewed

Chirality plays a major role in nature, from particle physics to DNA, and its control is much sought-after due to the scientific and technological opportunities it unlocks. For magnetic materials, chiral interactions between spins promote the formation of sophisticated swirling magnetic states such as skyrmions, with rich topological properties and great potential for future technologies. Currently, chiral magnetism requires either a restricted group of natural materials or synthetic thin-film systems that exploit interfacial effects. Here, using state-of-the-art nanofabrication and magnetic X-ray microscopy, we demonstrate the imprinting of complex chiral spin states via three-dimensional geometric effects at the nanoscale. By balancing dipolar and exchange interactions in an artificial ferromagnetic double-helix nanostructure, we create magnetic domains and domain walls with a well-defined spin chirality, determined solely by the chiral geometry. We further demonstrate the ability to create confined 3D spin textures and topological defects by locally interfacing geometries of opposite chirality. The ability to create chiral spin textures via 3D nanopatterning alone enables exquisite control over the properties and location of complex topological magnetic states, of great importance for the development of future metamaterials and devices in which chirality provides enhanced functionality. ; This work was funded by EPSRC Early Career Fellowship EP/M008517/1, the Winton Program for the Physics of Sustainability, and the EU CELINA COST action. D.S.-H. acknowledges a Girton College Pfeiffer scholarship and support from the EPSRC CDT in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. A.H.-R. and S.M.V. acknowledge funding from the EU Horizon 2020 program through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action H2020-MSCA-IF-2016-74695. C.D. acknowledges funding from Leverhulme Trust (ECF-2018-016), Isaac Newton Trust (18-08), and a L'Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland Fellowship for Women in Science 2019. Funding by the Spanish Ministry of Science is acknowledged, grants MAT2017-82970-C2-1-R, MAT2017-82970-C2-2-R and MAT2018-102627-T, and by Aragon Government (Construyendo Europa desde Aragón), grant E13_20R including European Social Fund. J.P.-N. acknowledges MINECO funding BES-2015-072950. S.M.V. appreciates support from EPSRC EP/M024423/1. P.F. was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, Contract No. DE-AC02-05-CH11231 (NEMM program MSMAG). These experiments were performed at MISTRAL beamline at ALBA Synchrotron with the collaboration of ALBA staff and CALIPSOplus (Grant 730872) funding. ; Peer reviewed

(.) Funding by the Spanish Ministry of Science is acknowledged, grants MAT2017-82970-C2-1-R, MAT2017-82970-C2-2-R and MAT2018-102627-T, and by Aragón Government (Construyendo Europa desde Aragón), grant E13_20R including European Social Fund. J.P.-N. acknowledges MINECO funding BES-2015-072950. (.)