Magnetization-Directed Helicity Switching of Spontaneous Topological Spin Textures in Centrosymmetric Materials

The manipulation of helicity has long been a key objective for spintronic devices in the fields of binary information processing and quantum computing. Deterministic control of skyrmion helicity has been demonstrated in chiral materials through modulating the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI); however, controllable switching of skyrmion helicity remains challenging in centrosymmetric materials that lack DMI. Here, we propose a new approach to control the helicity of spontaneous topological spin textures by manipulating the initial magnetization direction. Its feasibility has been confirmed by combining Lorentz transmission electron microscopy observations with micromagnetic simulations in centrosymmetric Nd_1−xY_xCo₅ alloys hosting spontaneous topological spin textures. In these alloys, the chirality of spontaneous topological spin textures is closely related to the preceding magnetic domain configurations, as domains with different orientations facilitate the formation of topological spin textures with distinct chirality. Based on this, a racetrack memory scheme is proposed, where two sequences of biskyrmions with opposite chirality can be generated and driven by a proper external field. Our findings demonstrate that the chirality of topological spin textures can be controlled by engineering the initial magnetization state, and thus present an innovative method for helicity control, thereby advancing the development of topological spin texture-based magnetoelectronic devices.