Manipulation of Magnetic Skyrmion in a 2D van der Waals Heterostructure via Both Electric and Magnetic Fields

TLDR

2D magnetic van der Waals materials offer a low‑power platform for designing and controlling topological spin textures in spintronic devices. The study investigates a novel method to design and manipulate magnetic skyrmions in 2D van der Waals heterostructures. A perpendicular magnetic field drives a Néel‑type skyrmion–bimeron–ferromagnet phase transition through competition between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and dipole–dipole interactions, while a ferroelectric CuInP₂S₆ substrate enables skyrmion writing and erasing via polarization. In WTe₂/CrCl₃ bilayers, a complete Néel‑type skyrmion–bimeron–ferromagnet transition with evolving topological number is observed, and under current the Néel skyrmion moves faster but with a larger Hall angle than the bimeron.

Abstract

Abstract As a promising candidate for the much‐desired low power consumption spintronic devices, 2D magnetic van der Waals material also provides a versatile platform for the design and control of topological spin textures. In this work on WTe 2 /CrCl 3 bilayer van der Waals heterostructures, a complete Néel‐type skyrmion–bimeron–ferromagnet phase transition is demonstrated, accompanied by the evolution of the topological number. This cyclic transition, mediated by a perpendicular magnetic field, is largely driven by the competition between the out‐of‐plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy and magnetic dipole–dipole interaction. In the presence of a driving current, the Néel‐type skyrmion gains a higher velocity yet larger skyrmion Hall angle, in comparison to the bimeron. By incorporating a ferroelectric CuInP 2 S 6 monolayer as a substrate, writing and erasing of skyrmions may be regulated using a ferroelectric polarization. This work sheds light on a novel approach to the design and control of magnetic skyrmions on 2D van der Waals materials.