Phase Selection in Mn–Si Alloys by Fast Solid-State Reaction with Enhanced Skyrmion Stability

Li Z, Xie Y, Yuan Y, Ji Y, Begeza V, Cao L, Hubner R, Rebohle L, Helm M, Nielsch K, Prucnal S, Zhou S (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Advanced Functional Materials Wiley-VCH Verlag

Book Volume: 31

Article Number: 2009723

Journal Issue: 15

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202009723

Abstract

B20-type transition-metal silicides or germanides are noncentrosymmetric materials hosting magnetic skyrmions, which are promising information carriers in spintronic devices. The prerequisite is to prepare thin films on technology-relevant substrates with magnetic skyrmions stabilized at a broad temperature and magnetic-field working window. A canonical example is the B20-MnSi film grown on Si substrates. However, the as-yet unavoidable contamination with MnSi1.7 occurs due to the lower nucleation temperature of this phase. In this work, a simple and efficient method to overcome this problem and prepare single-phase MnSi films on Si substrates is reported. It is based on the millisecond reaction between metallic Mn and Si using flash-lamp annealing (FLA). By controlling the FLA energy density, single-phase MnSi or MnSi1.7 or their mixture can be grown at will. Compared with bulk MnSi, the prepared MnSi films show an increased Curie temperature of up to 41 K. In particular, the magnetic skyrmions are stable over a much wider temperature and magnetic-field range than reported previously. The results constitute a novel phase selection approach for alloys and can help to enhance specific functional properties, such as the stability of magnetic skyrmions.

Involved external institutions

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) DE Germany (DE) Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) / 南京航空航天大学 CN China (CN) Technische Universität Dresden DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Li, Z., Xie, Y., Yuan, Y., Ji, Y., Begeza, V., Cao, L.,... Zhou, S. (2021). Phase Selection in Mn–Si Alloys by Fast Solid-State Reaction with Enhanced Skyrmion Stability. Advanced Functional Materials, 31(15). https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202009723

MLA:

Li, Zichao, et al. "Phase Selection in Mn–Si Alloys by Fast Solid-State Reaction with Enhanced Skyrmion Stability." Advanced Functional Materials 31.15 (2021).

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