Researchers at NIST have discovered a new method to manipulate the nanoscale properties of magnetic materials by controlling the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in cobalt thin films. The team, led by Samuel Stavis and Andrew Balk, found that by bombarding a cobalt film with argon ions of varying energies, they could control the direction and strength of the DMI, causing spins to twist clockwise or counterclockwise.
This discovery has potential applications in creating more efficient magnetic memory devices and developing sensitive detectors for magnetic nanoparticles. By controlling the DMI, researchers can create exotic magnetic structures like skyrmions, which could lead to more energy-efficient magnetic memory. The team’s work was published in Physical Review Letters and has implications for both scientific research and the development of new nanomagnetic devices.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/09/researchers-find-new-way-manipulate-magnetism
Keywords: DMI, Magnetic, Nanoscale, Spin, Twist
