Interfacial-interaction-modulated topological Hall effect in manganite/iridate heterostructures

Abstract

Interface-induced magnetic skyrmions, frequently observed in ferromagnetic/heavy metal heterostructures, hold significant promise for applications in spintronic devices. Recent studies have also revealed the presence of skyrmions and the associated topological Hall effect in perovskite oxide heterostructures exhibiting strong spin–orbit coupling. The rich electron correlations and diverse physical properties inherent to perovskite oxides not only enable effective approaches for manipulating skyrmions but also open avenues for multifunctional applications. In this work, we report the topological Hall effect and potential formation of magnetic skyrmions in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrIrO3 3d/5d perovskite heterostructures, driven by the interplay among exchange interaction, magnetic anisotropy, and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions. We demonstrate that the thickness of the SrIrO3 layer serves as a key parameter controlling the emergence of the topological Hall signal, mediated through the modulation of magnetic anisotropy energy via interfacial oxygen octahedral tilting. This conclusion is supported by comprehensive investigations of the interfacial microstructure, orbital states, and spin textures. Our findings highlight manganite/iridate heterostructures as a versatile oxide platform for the creation and tuning of non-collinear magnetic structures.