Tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature

Abstract Topological defects, or singularities, play a key role in the statics and dynamics of complex systems. In magnetism, Bloch point singularities represent point defects that mediate the nucleation of textures such as skyrmions and hopfions. While these textures are typically stabilised in chi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sandra Ruiz-Gómez, Claas Abert, Pamela Morales-Fernández, Claudia Fernández-González, Sabri Koraltan, Lukas Danesi, Dieter Suess, María Varela, Gabriel Sánchez-Santolino, Núria Bagués, Michael Foerster, Miguel Ángel Niño, Anna Mandziak, Dorota Wilgocka-Ślęzak, Pawel Nita, Markus Koenig, Sebastian Seifert, Aurelio Hierro-Rodriguez, Amalio Fernández-Pacheco, Claire Donnelly
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62705-x
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849342856344371200
author Sandra Ruiz-Gómez
Claas Abert
Pamela Morales-Fernández
Claudia Fernández-González
Sabri Koraltan
Lukas Danesi
Dieter Suess
María Varela
Gabriel Sánchez-Santolino
Núria Bagués
Michael Foerster
Miguel Ángel Niño
Anna Mandziak
Dorota Wilgocka-Ślęzak
Pawel Nita
Markus Koenig
Sebastian Seifert
Aurelio Hierro-Rodriguez
Amalio Fernández-Pacheco
Claire Donnelly
author_facet Sandra Ruiz-Gómez
Claas Abert
Pamela Morales-Fernández
Claudia Fernández-González
Sabri Koraltan
Lukas Danesi
Dieter Suess
María Varela
Gabriel Sánchez-Santolino
Núria Bagués
Michael Foerster
Miguel Ángel Niño
Anna Mandziak
Dorota Wilgocka-Ślęzak
Pawel Nita
Markus Koenig
Sebastian Seifert
Aurelio Hierro-Rodriguez
Amalio Fernández-Pacheco
Claire Donnelly
author_sort Sandra Ruiz-Gómez
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Topological defects, or singularities, play a key role in the statics and dynamics of complex systems. In magnetism, Bloch point singularities represent point defects that mediate the nucleation of textures such as skyrmions and hopfions. While these textures are typically stabilised in chiral magnets, the influence of chirality and symmetry breaking on Bloch point singularities remains relatively unexplored. Here, we harness advanced three-dimensional nanofabrication to explore the influence of symmetry breaking on Bloch point textures by introducing controlled nano-curvature in a ferromagnetic nanowire. Combining X-ray magnetic microscopy with the application of in situ magnetic fields, we demonstrate that Bloch point singularity-containing domain walls are stabilised in straight regions of the sample, and determine that curvature can be used to tune the energy landscape of the Bloch points. Not only are we able to pattern pinning points but, by controlling the gradient of curvature, we define asymmetric potential wells to realise a robust Bloch point texture shift-register with non-reciprocal behaviour. These insights into the influence of symmetry on singularities offer a route to the controlled nucleation and propagation of topological textures, providing opportunities for logic and computing devices.
format Article
id doaj-art-a0b1fae6948c42f4a8a97cda8d99832c
institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-a0b1fae6948c42f4a8a97cda8d99832c2025-08-20T03:43:14ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-62705-xTailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvatureSandra Ruiz-Gómez0Claas Abert1Pamela Morales-Fernández2Claudia Fernández-González3Sabri Koraltan4Lukas Danesi5Dieter Suess6María Varela7Gabriel Sánchez-Santolino8Núria Bagués9Michael Foerster10Miguel Ángel Niño11Anna Mandziak12Dorota Wilgocka-Ślęzak13Pawel Nita14Markus Koenig15Sebastian Seifert16Aurelio Hierro-Rodriguez17Amalio Fernández-Pacheco18Claire Donnelly19Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsFaculty of Physics, University of ViennaMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsALBA Synchrotron Light Source, CELLS, Cerdanyola del VallesFaculty of Physics, University of ViennaFaculty of Physics, University of ViennaDepartamento de Física de Materiales & Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de MadridDepartamento de Física de Materiales & Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de MadridALBA Synchrotron Light Source, CELLS, Cerdanyola del VallesALBA Synchrotron Light Source, CELLS, Cerdanyola del VallesALBA Synchrotron Light Source, CELLS, Cerdanyola del VallesSOLARIS Synchrotron light SourcesJerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, PACSOLARIS Synchrotron light SourcesMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsDepto. Física, Universidad de OviedoInstitute of Applied Physics, TU WienMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsAbstract Topological defects, or singularities, play a key role in the statics and dynamics of complex systems. In magnetism, Bloch point singularities represent point defects that mediate the nucleation of textures such as skyrmions and hopfions. While these textures are typically stabilised in chiral magnets, the influence of chirality and symmetry breaking on Bloch point singularities remains relatively unexplored. Here, we harness advanced three-dimensional nanofabrication to explore the influence of symmetry breaking on Bloch point textures by introducing controlled nano-curvature in a ferromagnetic nanowire. Combining X-ray magnetic microscopy with the application of in situ magnetic fields, we demonstrate that Bloch point singularity-containing domain walls are stabilised in straight regions of the sample, and determine that curvature can be used to tune the energy landscape of the Bloch points. Not only are we able to pattern pinning points but, by controlling the gradient of curvature, we define asymmetric potential wells to realise a robust Bloch point texture shift-register with non-reciprocal behaviour. These insights into the influence of symmetry on singularities offer a route to the controlled nucleation and propagation of topological textures, providing opportunities for logic and computing devices.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62705-x
spellingShingle Sandra Ruiz-Gómez
Claas Abert
Pamela Morales-Fernández
Claudia Fernández-González
Sabri Koraltan
Lukas Danesi
Dieter Suess
María Varela
Gabriel Sánchez-Santolino
Núria Bagués
Michael Foerster
Miguel Ángel Niño
Anna Mandziak
Dorota Wilgocka-Ślęzak
Pawel Nita
Markus Koenig
Sebastian Seifert
Aurelio Hierro-Rodriguez
Amalio Fernández-Pacheco
Claire Donnelly
Tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature
Nature Communications
title Tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature
title_full Tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature
title_fullStr Tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature
title_full_unstemmed Tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature
title_short Tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature
title_sort tailoring the energy landscape of a bloch point domain wall with curvature
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62705-x
work_keys_str_mv AT sandraruizgomez tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT claasabert tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT pamelamoralesfernandez tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT claudiafernandezgonzalez tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT sabrikoraltan tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT lukasdanesi tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT dietersuess tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT mariavarela tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT gabrielsanchezsantolino tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT nuriabagues tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT michaelfoerster tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT miguelangelnino tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT annamandziak tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT dorotawilgockaslezak tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT pawelnita tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT markuskoenig tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT sebastianseifert tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT aureliohierrorodriguez tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT amaliofernandezpacheco tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature
AT clairedonnelly tailoringtheenergylandscapeofablochpointdomainwallwithcurvature