Enhancement of zero-field skyrmion density in [Pt/Co/Fe/Ir]2 multilayers at room temperature by the first-order reversal curve

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are novel topological spin textures on the nanoscale, and significant efforts have been taken to improve their zero-field density at room temperature (RT). In this work, we reported an approach of improving zero-field skyrmion density in [Pt/Co/Fe/Ir]2 multilayers at RT by using the first-order reversal curve (FORC) technique to obtain information on the irreversible or reversible behaviors in the magnetization switching process. It was found from the FORC diagram that the magnetization reversal mechanism can be characterized into three stages: (1) reversible labyrinth stripe domains expanding or shrinking stage; (2) irreversible stripe domains fracturing stage; and (3) irreversible skyrmion annihilation stage. Furthermore, the zero-field skyrmion density can be highly improved by choosing reversal fields from the irreversible stripe domains fracturing stage. The highest skyrmion density was approached according to the maximum FORC distribution ρ. Our results have established the FORC measurement as a valuable tool for investigating magnetic multilayers of high skyrmion densities.