Robust skyrmion-bubble textures in SrRu O3 thin films stabilized by magnetic anisotropy

Abstract

Topological spin textures in the itinerant ferromagnet SrRuO3 are studied combining Hall transport measurements and numerical simulations. We observe characteristic signatures of the topological Hall effect associated with skyrmions. A relatively large thickness of our films and the absence of heavy-metal layers make the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction an unlikely source of these topological spin textures. In addition, the transport anomalies exhibit an unprecedented robustness to magnetic field tilting and temperature variations. Our numerical simulations suggest that this unconventional behavior results from compact magnetic bubbles with skyrmion topology stabilized by magnetodipolar interactions and higher-order magnetocrystalline ansiotropies in an unexpected region of parameter space. This work presents a comprehensive understanding of the origin of the topological Hall effect in SrRuO3, incorporating the complex angular dependence of the magnetic anisotropy, intrinsic to this material.