title: Interface-induced chiral domain walls, spin spirals and skyrmions revealed by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy.
abstract: The spin textures of ultra-thin magnetic layers exhibit surprising variety. The loss of inversion symmetry at the interface of the magnetic layer and substrate gives rise to the so-called Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction which favors non-collinear spin arrangements with unique rotational sense. Here we review the application of spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy to such systems, which has led to the discovery of interface-induced chiral domain walls and spin spirals. Recently, different interface-driven skyrmion lattices have been found, and the writing as well as the deleting of individual skyrmions based on local spin-polarized current injection has been demonstrated. These interface-induced non-collinear magnetic states offer new exciting possibilities to study fundamental magnetic interactions and to tailor material properties for spintronic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstr. 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: von  Bergmann
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubetzka
authors.forename: Oswald
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pietzsch
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiesendanger