Chiral magnetization textures stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction during spin-orbit torque switching

We study the effect of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) on current-induced magnetic switching of a perpendicularly magnetized heavy-metal/ferromagnet/oxide trilayer both experimentally and through micromagnetic simulations. We report the generation of stable helical magnetization stripes for a sufficiently large DMI strength in the switching region, giving rise to intermediate states in the magnetization and confirming the essential role of the DMI on switching processes. We compare the simulation and experimental results to a macrospin model, showing the need for a micromagnetic approach. The influence of the temperature on the switching is also discussed.