Three-dimensional topological magnetic monopoles and their interactions in a ferromagnetic meta-lattice

Topological magnetic monopoles (TMMs), also known as hedgehogs or Bloch points, are three-dimensional (3D) non-local spin textures that are robust to thermal and quantum fluctuations due to the topology protection(1-4). Although TMMs have been observed in skyrmion lattices(1,5), spinor Bose-Einstein condensates(6,7), chiral magnets(8), vortex rings(2,9) and vortex cores(10), it has been difficult to directly measure the 3D magnetization vector field of TMMs and probe their interactions at the nanoscale. Here we report the creation of 138 stable TMMs at the specific sites of a ferromagnetic meta-lattice at room temperature. We further develop soft X-ray vector ptycho-tomography to determine the magnetization vector and emergent magnetic field of the TMMs with a 3D spatial resolution of 10 nm. This spatial resolution is comparable to the magnetic exchange length of transition metals(11), enabling us to probe monopole-monopole interactions. We find that the TMM and anti-TMM pairs are separated by 18.3 +/- 1.6 nm, while the TMM and TMM, and anti-TMM and anti-TMM pairs are stabilized at comparatively longer distances of 36.1 +/- 2.4 nm and 43.1 +/- 2.0 nm, respectively. We also observe virtual TMMs created by magnetic voids in the meta-lattice. This work demonstrates that ferromagnetic meta-lattices could be used as a platform to create and investigate the interactions and dynamics of TMMs. Furthermore, we expect that soft X-ray vector ptycho-tomography can be broadly applied to quantitatively image 3D vector fields in magnetic and anisotropic materials at the nanoscale.

Automated summary

The researchers successfully created 138 stable magnetic monopoles on a ferromagnetic meta-lattice and used soft X-ray vector ptycho-tomography to determine their magnetization vector and emergent magnetic field. The study found that the distances between monopole-anti-monopole pairs, monopole-monopole pairs, and anti-monopole-anti-monopole pairs were 18.3 +/- 1.6 nm, 36.1 +/- 2.4 nm, and 43.1 +/- 2.0 nm, respectively. This work demonstrates the potential of ferromagnetic meta-lattices as a platform for studying the interactions and dynamics of magnetic monopoles, and the broad application of soft X-ray vector ptycho-tomography for quantitatively imaging 3D vector fields in magnetic and anisotropic materials at the nanoscale.