Towards room-temperature stable topological magnetic semiconductors based on two-dimensional Janus vanadium chalcogenides

Abstract

Topological magnetism presents an intriguing pathway for contemporary technological applications, particularly in high-density, high-speed, low-energy, non-volatile spin memory devices. Herein, we explore the topological magnetism of two-dimensional (2D) monolayer Janus van der Waals compounds, VSSe, VSTe, and VSeTe (collectively referred to as VXY), using first-principles calculations alongside micromagnetic simulations. These materials exhibit electric-field-induced topological magnetism as a result of tunable in-plane Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions, forming wormlike topological spin textures with an overall domain area proportion of ∼29–43%, which gradually loses its anisotropy under high magnetic field, ultimately stabilizing into sub-16-nm Néel-type skyrmions. Significantly, VSTe retains the ability to host topologically protected skyrmions at 320 K. Notably, applying an in-plane electric current facilitates the manipulation of these skyrmions, enabling the design of prototype spintronic devices that demonstrate the principles of writing/reading and erasing information. Our work offers a novel perspective on the discovery of skyrmions in atomic layered magnets and lays the foundation for the design and control of innovative topological spintronic devices.