2017/05/04 by Felix Büttner, Ivan Lemesh, Michael Schneider +11 · 2 citations
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Memory and Neural Computing #Aerospace engineering #Condensed matter physics #Engineering #Field (mathematics) #Laser #Magnetic field #Magnetic properties of thin films #Mathematics #Optics #Orbit (dynamics) #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum mechanics #Skyrmion #Spin (aerodynamics) #Torque #Ultrashort pulse #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/nnano.2017.178
published as Nature Nanotechnology (2017)
arxiv created 2017/05/04 · openalex publication_date 2017/10/02 · arxiv updated 2017/10/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Magnetic skyrmions are currently the most promising option to realize current-driven magnetic shift registers. A variety of concepts to create skyrmions were proposed and demonstrated. However, none of the reported experiments show controlled creation of single skyrmions using integrated designs. Here, we demonstrate that skyrmions can be generated deterministically on subnanosecond timescales in magnetic racetracks at artificial or natural defects using spin orbit torque (SOT) pulses. The mechanism is largely similar to SOT-induced switching of uniformly magnetized elements, but due to the effect of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), external fields are not required. Our observations provide a simple and reliable means for skyrmion writing that can be readily integrated into racetrack devices.