Towards skyrmion-superconductor hybrid systems

Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy is used to identify the magnetic state of different thin films on a Re(0001) substrate, which becomes superconducting below 1.7 K. All magnetic films contain an Fe/Ir interface, which is known to facilitate the emergence of noncollinear magnetic order. For Fe monolayers on ultrathin Ir films of different thicknesses we find several different atomic-scale magnetic states. For Pd/Fe bilayers we find nanoscale spin spirals as magnetic ground states for Ir thicknesses of three and four atomic layers. In applied magnetic fields skyrmions emerge, and in remanence nontrivial magnetic textures survive. This demonstrates the possibility to prepare skryrmion-hosting magnetic films on superconducting substrates.