Correlation of Interface Interdiffusion and Skyrmionic Phases.

Magnetic skyrmions are prime candidates for the next generation of spintronic devices. Skyrmions and other topological magnetic structures are known to be stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) that occurs when the inversion symmetry is broken in thin films. Here, we show by first-principles calculations and atomistic spin dynamics simulations that metastable skyrmionic states can also be found in nominally symmetric multilayered systems.

First-principles theory of electronic structure and magnetism of Cr nano-islands on Pd(1 1 1).

We report on the electronic structure, magnetic moments and exchange interactions of one- and two-dimensional Cr clusters on a Pd(1 1 1) substrate, using a real-space method based on density functional theory in the local spin density approximation. We find in general that for the investigated clusters, the magnetic moments are sizeable and almost entirely of spin-character. We demonstrate that the interactions in general are dominated by nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic Heisenberg form, which implies that Cr on Pd(1 1 1) forms an ideal model system, in which clusters of almost any shape and size can be investigated from a Heisenberg Hamiltonian, using a nearest-neighbor exchange model.

Complex magnetic structure of clusters and chains of Ni and Fe on Pt(111).

We present an approach to control the magnetic structure of adatoms adsorbed on a substrate having a high magnetic susceptibility. Using finite Ni-Pt and Fe-Pt nanowires and nanostructures on Pt(111) surfaces, our ab initio results show that it is possible to tune the exchange interaction and magnetic configuration of magnetic adatoms (Fe or Ni) by introducing different numbers of Pt atoms to link them, or by including edge effects. The exchange interaction between Ni (or Fe) adatoms on Pt(111) can be considerably increased by introducing Pt chains to link them.