Electrical detection of magnetic skyrmions by non-collinear magnetoresistance

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel electrical detection method for magnetic skyrmions based on non-collinear magnetoresistance, which exploits local electronic structure changes caused by skyrmion non-collinearity.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that non-collinear magnetoresistance provides a reliable all-electrical detection scheme for skyrmions, enabling easier integration into spintronic devices.

Findings

Differential tunnel conductance changes significantly in the presence of skyrmions.

Non-collinear magnetoresistance offers a distinct electronic signature of skyrmions.

Proposed detection method is compatible with device architectures.

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are localised non-collinear spin textures with high potential for future spintronic applications. Skyrmion phases have been discovered in a number of materials and a focus of current research is the preparation, detection, and manipulation of individual skyrmions for an implementation in devices. Local experimental characterization of skyrmions has been performed by, e.g., Lorentz microscopy or atomic-scale tunnel magnetoresistance measurements using spin-polarised scanning tunneling microscopy. Here, we report on a drastic change of the differential tunnel conductance for magnetic skyrmions arising from their non-collinearity: mixing between the spin channels locally alters the electronic structure, making a skyrmion electronically distinct from its ferromagnetic environment. We propose this non-collinear magnetoresistance (NCMR) as a reliable all-electrical detection scheme for skyrmions with an easy implementation into device architectures.