Skyrmion device integration – deterministic and ultrafast creation, annihilation, and propagation

Magnetic skyrmions have many promising applications, from sensors through data storage to non-conventional computing. Almost all applications rely on deterministic control of the skyrmion behavior. Of particular importance is control over the skyrmion creation, their annihilation, and their propagation processes. Moreover, in most cases, it is paramount that these operations are completed on a pico- to low-nanosecond timescale. Here, I will discuss various means to achieve such deterministic and ultrafast control over the skyrmion behavior via electrical and optical stimuli and via global and local tuning of the materials’ properties. I will discuss the underlying mechanisms of switching, how they differ between electrical and optical excitations, and how this can be exploited to achieve new functionality in opto-spintronic devices. I will also discuss various means of driving skyrmions into motion and comment on the maximum velocity that can be achieved. I will conclude with an outlook on remaining challenges that need to be addressed before skyrmions will become actually useful for commercial device applications.

 

1. Büttner, F. et al. Field-free deterministic ultrafast creation of magnetic skyrmions by spin–orbit torques. Nature Nanotechnology 12, 1040–1044 (2017).
   
   Büttner, F. et al. Observation of fluctuation-mediated picosecond nucleation of a topological phase. Nature Materials 20, 30–37 (2021).
   
   Gerlinger, K. et al. Application concepts for ultrafast laser-induced skyrmion creation and annihilation. Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 192403 (2021).

 

Outreach-highlight:

Magnetic skyrmions have many promising applications, from sensors through data storage to non-conventional computing. This presentation will focus on how the basic operating principles of such applications, namely the nucleation, annihilation, and propagation of magnetic skyrmions, can be achieved at a technologically relevant speed (sub-nanoseconds) and with technologically required reliability.