biostudies-literatureCarvalho PCCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloMinistério da Ciência, Tecnologia e InovaçãoeSSENCEKnut och Alice Wallenbergs StiftelseFundação Amazônia Paraense de Amparo à Pesquisa4854-4861https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10273311biostudies-literatureUnknown23(11)Magnetic skyrmions are prime candidates for the next generation of spintronic devices. Skyrmions and other topological magnetic structures are known to be stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) that occurs when the inversion symmetry is broken in thin films. Here, we show by first-principles calculations and atomistic spin dynamics simulations that metastable skyrmionic states can also be found in nominally symmetric multilayered systems. We demonstrate that this is correlated with the large enhancement of the DMI strength due to the presence of local defects. In particular, we find that metastable skyrmions can occur in Pd/Co/Pd multilayers without external magnetic fields and can be stable even near room temperature conditions. Our theoretical findings corroborate withNano lettersCorrelation of Interface Interdiffusion and Skyrmionic Phases.PMC102733112020/05609-72012/51198-22022/00581-22022/10095-8Bergman AKlautau ABBrandao JPetrilli HMCarvalho PCMiranda IPCezar JCfalseCorrelation of Interface Interdiffusion and Skyrmionic Phases.Magnetic skyrmions are prime candidates for the next generation of spintronic devices. Skyrmions and other topological magnetic structures are known to be stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) that occurs when the inversion symmetry is broken in thin films. Here, we show by first-principles calculations and atomistic spin dynamics simulations that metastable skyrmionic states can also be found in nominally symmetric multilayered systems. We demonstrate that this is correlated with the large enhancement of the DMI strength due to the presence of local defects. In particular, we find that metastable skyrmions can occur in Pd/Co/Pd multilayers without external magnetic fields and can be stable even near room temperature conditions. Our theoretical findings corroborate with2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jun2026-05-07T08:34:56.906Z2025-04-05T20:14:28.443ZS-EPMC102733113723553910.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00428