Real-space observations of 60-nm skyrmion dynamics in an insulating magnet under low heat flow

Real-space observations of 60-nm skyrmion dynamics in an insulating magnet under low heat flow | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Real-space observations of 60-nm skyrmion dynamics in an insulating magnet under low heat flow Xiuzhen Yu, Fumitaka Kagawa, Shinichiro Seki, Masashi Kubota, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-156692/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Aug, 2021 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Thermal-current induced electron and spin dynamics in solids –dubbed “caloritronics” – have generated widespread interest in both fundamental physics and spintronics applications. Here, we examine the dynamics of nanometric topological spin textures, skyrmions, driven by a temperature gradient or heat flow. The heat-flow-drive skyrmion dynamics are evaluated through in-situ real-space observations in an insulating helimagnet Cu 2 OSeO 3 . We observe increases of the skyrmion velocity and the Hall angle with increasing T above a critical value of ~ 13 mK/mm, which is two orders of magnitude lower than the T required to drive ferromagnetic domain walls, in agreement with theoretical predictions. A comparable magnitude of T is also observed to move the domain walls between a skyrmion domain and the non-topological conical-spin domain from cold to hot regions. Our results demonstrate the efficient manipulation of skyrmions by temperature gradients, a promising step towards energy-efficient “green” spintronics. Nanoscience Topology Hard Condensed-matter Physics Magnetics Materials and Devices skyrmion dynamics magnet spintronics. Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files skyrmionmotionunderheatflowsSIyu210127.docx Supplementary Informations 0.05mA160mT.mp4 Supplementary Movie 1 175mT0.1mA.mp4 Supplementary Movie 2 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Aug, 2021 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-156692","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":10058101,"identity":"c05182d1-5f02-48f1-825d-97af5056a7c4","order_by":0,"name":"Xiuzhen Yu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAoklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCDwwSBiDagGgdjDNI1sLMQ4pqBoMbCWzStnssjPmlGxiKC4jUwmyc80zCTHLOAQbjGURqYXycc0DCBshgMOYhUgvDYQugFntStDA+ZjggYWYgQawWyTMPmA17DkgYS9xIbCDOL3zHE9gkfhyoM+yfkXzMmKgQUzjA/wHKZGwzJkYHg3wDgs38mCgto2AUjIJRMOIAAKX4LIllXTx1AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3136-7289","institution":"RIKEN","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiuzhen","middleName":"","lastName":"Yu","suffix":""},{"id":10058102,"identity":"c81963ed-30ae-4b59-b1ed-ca745ece01af","order_by":1,"name":"Fumitaka Kagawa","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1763-6799","institution":"University of Tokyo","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fumitaka","middleName":"","lastName":"Kagawa","suffix":""},{"id":10058103,"identity":"5de6d62e-0c0a-40b9-b9eb-18e1d92005b7","order_by":2,"name":"Shinichiro Seki","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tokyo","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shinichiro","middleName":"","lastName":"Seki","suffix":""},{"id":10058104,"identity":"4f3baea1-cb2b-4404-9ed9-193e4a472dd3","order_by":3,"name":"Masashi Kubota","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Riken,CEMS","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Masashi","middleName":"","lastName":"Kubota","suffix":""},{"id":10058105,"identity":"35ca8bc1-f131-49da-ae2a-fd1f1fec9dc3","order_by":4,"name":"Jan Masell","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9951-4452","institution":"RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter 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Emergent Matter Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Masao","middleName":"","lastName":"Nakamura","suffix":""},{"id":10058109,"identity":"a148b4bd-8b42-4ad5-b0ee-a2ac29f4d4ec","order_by":8,"name":"Masashi Kawasaki","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Quantum-Phase Electronics Center and D","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Masashi","middleName":"","lastName":"Kawasaki","suffix":""},{"id":10058110,"identity":"cec2081a-9390-4221-a9a3-801b014b6314","order_by":9,"name":"Naoto Nagaosa","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The University of Tokyo/RIKEN","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Naoto","middleName":"","lastName":"Nagaosa","suffix":""},{"id":10058111,"identity":"3023a887-aef2-47be-819c-460dbbce4bd4","order_by":10,"name":"Yoshinori Tokura","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2732-4983","institution":"RIKEN","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yoshinori","middleName":"","lastName":"Tokura","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2021-01-27 12:20:36","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-156692/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-156692/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25291-2","type":"published","date":"2021-08-23T04:00:00+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":5597974,"identity":"da4cbd67-2af4-4cd7-81ee-494de5f8b0dc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-02-03 23:01:45","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":111035,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Thermally-driven magnetic skyrmion motion in an insulating magnet Cu2OSeO3 with chiral-lattice structure. a. Schematic crystal structure of the Cu2OSeO3. b. A skyrmion (white dot-like contrasts) lattice (SkL) observed by Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in a (111) Cu2OSeO3 thin plate under a normal 60-mT field at 20 K. c, d. Device configurations (c, topography of the device; d, schematic of the device cross-section) for imaging skyrmion dynamics with heat flows. e. Schematics of skyrmion flows in the thin plates with temperature gradients (∇T). Dashed arrows indicate the anticipated trace of a skyrmion.","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1/1d8a054da1e61516b4fed621.jpg"},{"id":5597998,"identity":"195813a2-8a2f-45d0-ad7a-4aeae68a9038","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-02-03 23:04:45","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":76535,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"The temperature (T)-magnetic field (B) phase diagram observed in Cu2OSeO3 by Lorentz TEM. a. The T-B phase diagram of magnetic structure in the (111) 100 nm thick Cu2OSeO3 thin plate. Circles specify the T and B conditions. H, C, and FM stand for the helical, conical, and field-aligned ferromagnetic structures, respectively. b- g. Lorentz TEM images and their fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) observed at 20 K with increasing magnetic field.","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1/7c6301037acc4f44a5bb1c62.jpg"},{"id":5597999,"identity":"92b7b667-cf81-4858-b2ac-14a97073115f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-02-03 23:04:45","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":119992,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Heat flow-driven skyrmion motion in a Cu2OSeO3 thin plate. a-b. Lorentz TEM images observed before (a) and during (b) a 10-µA current flowing through the heater. c. Skyrmion (white dot) domain coexistent with a vertical C domain (monotonic contrast) observed under a normal field of 160 mT at 20 K in the (111) thin Cu2OSeO3. The boundaries between the skyrmion domain and C domain are signed by yellow dashed lines. d. The domain boundaries (indicated by yellow dashed lines) between skyrmions and C domain drift from the lower left to the upper right (indicated by orange dashed lines) when a 50-µA current flows through the heater (H) set on the right side of the device (see Figs. 1c-1d). e-g. The left skyrmion island (encircled by a dotted yellow line) flows towards the right one (dotted blue line) with 100-µA current flow. h. T-map of the thin Cu2OSeO3 during a 50-µA current flow. Color bar indicates the T-scale. i. Line profiles of ∇T in the Lorentz TEM view area (the rad line) and in the bulky Cu2OSeO3 (thicker regions, the black line) at IH = 50 µA. j. Calculated ∇T versus IH in the Lorentz TEM view area. The inset is an enlargement of the ∇T-profile at a range of IH from 0 to100 µA. k. Variation of the velocity (red squares) of the domain wall (boundary between skyrmion domain and C domain) and Hall angle (blue triangular) of the front skyrmion at the boundary with an increase of ∇T, observed while holding a constant field of 160 mT. The pink and blue lines are eye guides for the changes of the velocity and Hall angle, respectively.","description":"","filename":"3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1/db691f94f53036cfb8b2895d.jpg"},{"id":15779600,"identity":"ac9f77a7-e38e-441c-b359-780ecb1b0d7b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-11-22 15:37:32","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":821103,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"skyrmionmotionunderheatflowsmainyu210127.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1_covered.pdf"},{"id":13581357,"identity":"4ab685a4-ab50-461b-9fd3-27302a8322a8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-09-17 04:26:50","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":816018,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"skyrmionmotionunderheatflowsmainyu210127.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1_covered.pdf"},{"id":5598282,"identity":"7e2f67a2-fc49-4a62-bfbe-f79f7d2d3853","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-02-03 23:13:49","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":727712,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"skyrmionmotionunderheatflowsmainyu210127.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1_stamped.pdf"},{"id":5598090,"identity":"ed9d03b4-b33e-4467-8d2d-d0e2c9110cd7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-02-03 23:07:45","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":334866,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Informations","description":"","filename":"skyrmionmotionunderheatflowsSIyu210127.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1/210ff574c3634c17353d0965.docx"},{"id":5598141,"identity":"bfec2c0c-a343-4f0c-896b-ffe9a9be75db","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-02-03 23:10:45","extension":"mp4","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":3704264,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Movie 1","description":"","filename":"0.05mA160mT.mp4","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1/c885f419789c293296823545.mp4"},{"id":5598142,"identity":"28ab4e97-8a93-4b7b-8b7a-be4815ef703f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-02-03 23:10:45","extension":"mp4","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":7039540,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Movie 2","description":"","filename":"175mT0.1mA.mp4","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-156692/v1/743647b1f371a82e3cf616dd.mp4"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Real-space observations of 60-nm skyrmion dynamics in an insulating magnet under low heat flow","fulltext":[{"header":"Full Text","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis preprint is available for \u003ca href='/article/rs-156692/latest.pdf' target='_blank'\u003edownload as a PDF\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"skyrmion dynamics, magnet, spintronics.","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-156692/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-156692/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThermal-current induced electron and spin dynamics in solids –dubbed “caloritronics” – have generated widespread interest in both fundamental physics and spintronics applications. Here, we examine the dynamics of nanometric topological spin textures, skyrmions, driven by a temperature gradient\u0026nbsp;or heat flow. The heat-flow-drive skyrmion dynamics are evaluated through in-situ real-space observations in an insulating helimagnet Cu\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eOSeO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e. We observe increases of the skyrmion velocity and the Hall angle with increasing \u003cem\u003eT\u003c/em\u003e above a critical value of ~ 13 mK/mm, which is two orders of magnitude lower than the \u003cem\u003eT\u003c/em\u003e required to drive ferromagnetic domain walls, in agreement with theoretical predictions. A comparable magnitude of \u003cem\u003eT\u003c/em\u003e is also observed to move the domain walls between a skyrmion domain and the non-topological conical-spin domain from cold to hot regions. Our results demonstrate the efficient manipulation of skyrmions by temperature gradients, a promising step towards energy-efficient “green” spintronics.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Real-space observations of 60-nm skyrmion dynamics in an insulating magnet under low heat flow","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2021-02-03 23:01:43","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-156692/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-communications","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"NCOMMS","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Communications](http://www.nature.com/ncomms/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://mts-ncomms.nature.com/","title":"Nature Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Communications","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fbcf3614-9665-433c-9ffc-b7133e8d8c6d","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 3rd, 2021","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":2225715,"name":"Nanoscience"},{"id":2225716,"name":"Topology"},{"id":2225717,"name":"Hard Condensed-matter Physics"},{"id":2225718,"name":"Magnetics Materials and Devices"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2021-11-22T15:34:50+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-156692","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25291-2","journal":{"identity":"nature-communications","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Nature Communications"},"publishedOn":"2021-08-23 04:00:00","publishedOnDateReadable":"August 23rd, 2021"},"versionCreatedAt":"2021-02-03 23:01:43","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41467-021-25291-2","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25291-2","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-156692","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-156692","identity":"rs-156692","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"FbvkV6FR0MCFSLy54lSbu","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}