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arXiv · 1507.06330

Perpendicular Reading of Single Confined Magnetic Skyrmions

Dax M. Crum·Mohammed Bouhassoune·Juba Bouaziz·Benedikt Schweflinghaus·Stefan Blügel·Samir Lounis
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Abstract

Thin-film sub-5 nm magnetic skyrmions constitute an ultimate scaling alternative for future digital data storage. Skyrmions are robust non-collinear spin-textures that can be moved and manipulated by small electrical currents. We show here an innovative technique to detect isolated nanoskyrmions with a current-perpendicular-to-plane geometry, which has immediate implications for device concepts. We explore the physics behind such a mechanism by studying the atomistic electronic structure of the magnetic quasiparticles. We investigate how the isolated skyrmion local-density-of-states which tunnels into the vacuum, when compared to the ferromagnetic background, is modified by the site-dependent spin-mixing of electronic states with different relative canting angles. Local transport properties are sensitive to this effect, as we report an atomistic conductance anisotropy of over 20% for magnetic skyrmions in Pd/Fe/Ir(111) thin-films. In single skyrmions, engineering this spin-mixing magnetoresistance possibly could be incorporated in future magnetic storage technologies.

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Dax M. Crum, Mohammed Bouhassoune, Juba Bouaziz, Benedikt Schweflinghaus, Stefan Blügel, Samir Lounis. 2015-07-22. Perpendicular Reading of Single Confined Magnetic Skyrmions. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9541

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