With the end of Moore’s law in sight, new schemes must be devised to achieve energy efficient, high density and high-speed data storage and processing. One emerging concept in today’s condensed-matter physics that may fuel next-generation information technology is topology.
Topological phenomena in real space can give rise to interesting objects (for instance magnetic skyrmions), which are topologically protected, i.e. endowed with an energy barrier associated with a change in their topology class. These solitonic objects have been found mainly in magnetic materials like ferromagnets and there are very recent reports that ferroelectrics may also be able to host them. Interestingly, antiferroic orders like antiferromagnetism or antiferroelectricity would provide extra properties e.g. a faster motion or an increased robustness.
In TSAR, we will design antiferroic systems based on oxide materials where spin and electric dipole textures will be nucleated. We will devise approaches to control these topological solitons using different stimuli, and in particular ultra-fast vortex light pulses carrying angular orbital momentum. Gathering a consortium with broad expertise comprising academic (experimental and theoretical groups) and industrial partners, strategies will be devised and applied starting from high quality materials to devices. The targeted breakthrough of our project is to realize the first proof-of-concept for agile, low-power, room-temperature spintronic and electronic devices based on antiferroic topological materials. Their intrinsic high speed operation and low-power consumption will help tackling present societal challenges. Success in these endeavors will establish topological antiferroic systems as a novel versatile platform for future energy-efficient nanoelectronics.
skyrmion in BiFeO3 from atomistic simulations
D1.2 - Strain engineered BiFeO3 samples with disordered chiral AFM
D1.3 - Calculations on interfacial DMI + phase diagrams
D1.4 - Successful growth of first bilayers with AFM skyrmions
D2.1 - Updated version of MULTIBINIT to combine bulk models and deal with superlattices
D2.2 - Atomic dipole maps from second principles; diffuse scattering simulations from phase field
D2.3 - Phase-field calculations of FE-AFE phase stability and configuration at the phase boundaries
D2.4 - Antiferroelectric thin films
D3.1 - Report on nucleation and motion of topological solitons
D3.2 - Theoretical description of light induced skyrmions
D3.3 - Report on light-induced time-resolved studies
D4.1 - Report on advanced characterisation of all ferroic structures
D4.2 - Report on Dynamical properties of all systems
D6.1 - Initial data management plan
D6.3 - Plan for dissemination and exploitation of results
D6.4 - Project website and social media accounts operational
D6.5 - Report on consortium workshop
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