Fact and artifact in Lorentz imaging of skyrmionic magnetic textures
Phys. Rev. B 112, 214455 – Published 30 December, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/sm5r-2vps
Abstract
Lorentz transmission electron microscopy is widely used for imaging magnetic structures at the nanoscale in real space. However, its interpretation can be complicated by imaging artifacts induced by the defocus distance and specimen tilt. In this work, we systematically examine the origins of such artifacts through experimental and simulated Fresnel defocused Lorentz imaging of Bloch-type skyrmionic spin textures. We analyze the effects from the defocus distance, the magnetic field, and the sample thickness in an individual skyrmion, two neighboring skyrmions, and the skyrmion lattice. We demonstrate that improper defocus distance and specimen tilt may introduce artifacts that are not associated with the actual magnetic configurations. These findings provide a practical framework for Lorentz TEM imaging and highlight the importance of the defocus distance, sample tilt, and theoretical support for reliable interpretations of magnetic textures.
