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Topological spin-texture transitions in van der Waals magnets revealed by X-ray Fourier transform holography

cond-mat.mtrl-sci2026-05v1license

Abstract

Nontrivial topological spin-textures, such as skyrmions, merons, bimerons, and skyrmioniums, are envisioned as robust building blocks for future memory and logic devices. Controllable transformations between these states require a quantum-mechanical description of electronic degrees of freedom and atomic-scale insight beyond existing phenomenological models. Here, we report an atomic-scale investigation of topological phase transitions and their protection in the two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3_3GeTe2_2 (FGT) using a combined experimental-theoretical approach. Synchrotron-based Fourier transform holography directly images labyrinth domains, isolated skyrmions, mixed labyrinth-skyrmion phases, and skyrmion bags with high spatial resolution. We compare these observations to simulations based on an electronic lattice Hamiltonian that captures both metallicity and relativistic spin-orbit coupling in FGT. By systematically exploring a broad range of temperatures and magnetic fields, we map the mechanisms governing topological transitions and their stability. This sequential-integrated experimental-theoretical framework advances understanding of spin-texture interactions and enables precise control of external tuning parameters. Our results establish a platform for creating, stabilizing, and manipulating topological states, paving the way for engineered spin-texture transitions in next-generation spintronic technologies.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2605.29890,
  title  = {Topological spin-texture transitions in van der Waals magnets revealed by X-ray Fourier transform holography},
  author = {Sourav Chowdhury and Soumyaranjan Dash and Michael Schneider and Christopher Klose and Chithra H. Sharma and Lisa-Marie Kern and Tim A. Butcher and Josefin Fuchs and Santanu Pakhira and Samik DuttaGupta and Takashi Taniguchi and Kenji Watanabe and Sujit Das and Sanjeev Kumar and Bastian Pfau and Amir-Abbas Haghighirad and Moritz Hoesch},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.29890},
  year   = {2026}
}