Ultra-sensitive voltage-controlled skyrmion-based spintronic diode

Nanotechnology. 2023 Jun 29;34(37). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/acdad6.

Abstract

We have designed a passive spintronic diode based on a single skyrmion stabilized in a magnetic tunnel junction and studied its dynamics induced by voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (VDMI). We have demonstrated that the sensitivity (rectified output voltage over input microwave power) with realistic physical parameters and geometry can be larger than 10 kV W-1which is one order of magnitude larger than diodes employing a uniform ferromagnetic state. Our numerical and analytical results on the VCMA and VDMI-driven resonant excitation of skyrmions beyond the linear regime reveal a frequency dependence on the amplitude and no efficient parametric resonance. Skyrmions with a smaller radius produced higher sensitivities, demonstrating the efficient scalability of skyrmion-based spintronic diodes. These results pave the way for designing passive ultra-sensitive and energy efficient skyrmion-based microwave detectors.

Keywords: diode; skyrmions; spintronics.

MeSH terms

  • Anisotropy
  • Magnets*
  • Microwaves*
  • Vibration