Properties of skyrmions in Co/Pt-based multilayers from theory*

We investigate the prospects for stable, compact 10 nm sized skyrmions in ferromagneically and antiferromagneticially coupled Co/Pt-based multilayers from first-principles calculation of the spin-stiffness, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), magnetic anisotropy and the interlayer coupling. Employing a multiscale approach, we transfer the microscopic parameters determined from ab initio to a micromagnetic energy functional and determine the skyrmion radius as function of temperature and film thickness. We found an analytical expression for the skyrmion radius that covers our numerical results and is valid for a large regime of micromagnetic parameters. We focus on monatomic layer thick fcc-stacked (111)-oriented metallic Z/Co/Pt (Z = 4d series: Y–Pd, the noble metals: Cu, Ag, Au, post-noble metals: Zn and Cd) and on systems of thicker layers.