In-Situ Annealing of Topological-Insulator / Magnetic Multilayer Heterostructures for Optimising Pulsed Skyrmion Generation

Skyrmion spin textures are candidates for data storage and processing in new generations of spintronic devices. This is because of their small size, topological stability, solitonic nature, and ability to be manipulated by spin transfer and spin-orbit torques (SOT). Topological Insulators (TIs) are known to be sources of SOT orders of magnitude larger than typical heavy metals. TI / skyrmion hosting multilayer heterostructures should therefore utilise this property for ultra-efficient skyrmion motion. Previous X-PEEM measurements show efficient skyrmion generation in such a heterostructure yet also a dependence on sample heating throughout device fabrication. We wish to understand the structural and magnetic changes experienced through heating, the temperature range this occurs over and find an ideal operating temperature for TI-based skyrmion devices in advance of our next X-PEEM beamtime in October. Understanding how this process occurs, in conjunction with conventional magnetometry, will be vital in producing robust, high-quality samples.