SPIN TEXTURES

Overview

We are interested in novel spin textures, especially those occurring in three-dimensional (3D) magnetic objects. Curvature, domain walls, 3D spin and space, topology are some of our daily words at work. We design and fabricate devices, image their spin textures and influence these with spin-polarized currents or externally applied magnetic fields. The applied background includes the proposed concept of 3D race-track memory. This research topic is driven in close collaboration with colleagues in the Theory group, PFNC at Minatec, Institut Néel, and expert chemist groups in Germany and Spain.

Research topics

Spin textures by models

We investigate the existence, energetics and dynamics of 3D spin textures under magnetic field and spin-polarized current by using and developing our home-made feeLLGood micromagnetic code, combined with analytical modeling.

Spin textures by experiments

From nanowires to multilayered nanotubes, we observe samples compliant for spintronic devices. Probing the strength of a spin texture’s topological protection against transformation or annihilation is a major goal. We also contribute to the development of 3D MRAM (MRAM team).

Material research

We design and synthesize samples to stabilize 3D spin textures using bottom-up chemical synthesis (anodization, electroplating, electroless deposition, atomic layer deposition). We further use lithography/FIB for electrical contacting and design specific sample supports for original in-situ experiments.

Magnetic imaging

Magnetic imaging of 3D spin textures requires high spatial resolution (nanoscale) as well as bulk/surface and multi-component sensitivity. We are developing expertise in electron-, X-ray & near-field probes, both in the lab and at external facilities, including development of instruments and image data treatment.

The team

Former members

Post-docs

Sylvain MARTIN (2016-2018)
Dhananjay TIWARO (2018-2021)
Jérôme HURST (2019-2021)

PhD

Mahdi JABER (2019-2023).
Laura ALVARO-GOMEZ (2019-2023). Co-tutella with IMDEA Madrid
Arnaud DE RIZ (2017-2021).
Michael SCHÖBITZ (2017-2021). Joint with Institut NEEL.
Michal STANO (2014-2017), Joint with Institut NEEL.
Beatrix TRAPP (2015-2018). Joint with Institut NEEL.
Alexis WARTELLE (2013-2017). Joint with Institut NEEL.

Internships

Michal DYMACEK (2023)
Natalia BOSCOLO (2022)
Sara BONET-GOMEZ (2021)
Ondrej NOVOTNY (2020)
Zied BELKHIRI (2020)
Hoel ROBERT (2018). Joint with INAC/MEM.

Projects

M3d, FP7 (2012-2016).
MILF, ANR (2019-2022).
C3DS, ANR-DFG (2019-2022).

Partners

Institut NEEL, Grenoble, France.
PFNC @ Minatec, Grenoble, France.
J. Bachmann. Department of Chemistry, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
W. Ensinger. Materialanalytik – TU Darmstadt, Germany.
Microscopy group (I3EM), CEMES, Toulouse, France.
L. Perez, IMDEA, Madrid, Spain.
M. Vazquez, GNMP-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
M. Foerster, L. Aballe, ALBA synchrotron, Barcelona, Spain.
S. Finizio, J. Raabe, SLS Synchrotron, Villigen, Switzerland.
R. Belkhou, SOLEIL Synchrotron, Orsay, France.
A. Lubk, D. Wolf, IFW, Dresden, Germany.
J. M. de Teresa, INA, Zaragoza, Spain.
A. Fernandez-Pacheco, The Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK.
C. Phatak, Argonne National Lab., Chicago, USA.

Recent news

Unveiling the heart of magnetic memory cells thanks to electron holography (November 10th, 2020)
Magnetic spintronic memory called STT-MRAM have recently entered in volume production at major microelectronic foundries. The research in this area is now focused on preparing the future memory generations with higher capacity, higher speed, lower ...
Masters thesis projects for Spring 2021 (September 15th, 2020)
You find here the list of proposals for Master-2 internships to take place at Spintec during Spring 2021. In most cases, these internships are intended to be suitable for a longer-term PhD work. Interested Master-1 ...
Room-Temperature Skyrmions at Zero Field in Exchange-Biased Ultrathin Films (July 17th, 2020)
Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures of great interest for nanoscale information storage and processing. However, stabilizing small skyrmions without applying an external magnetic field remains challenging. This study employs a thin ferromagnetic layer ...
Spin-orbitronics at a topological insulator-semiconductor interface (July 02nd, 2020)
Topological insulators (TI) represent a new class of insulating materials hosting metallic surface states. Moreover, those surface states exhibit a Dirac cone energy dispersion where the strong spin-orbit coupling leads to a helical spin texture ...
Topology and Œrsted field prevent Walker breakdown in cylindrical nanowires (December 06th, 2019)
Domain-wall motion in one-dimensional conduits is both a textbook case for magnetization dynamics and the understanding of spin torques, and of practical importance for the design of novel spintronic ICT devices. However, instabilities known as ...