Engineering the dynamics of topological spin textures by anisotropic spin-orbit torques

TL;DR

This paper reveals how anisotropic spin-orbit torques influence skyrmion dynamics, offering new ways to control topological spin textures for future memory and logic devices.

Contribution

It demonstrates that anisotropic spin-orbit torques modify skyrmion Hall effects and provides a materials design approach to tailor spin texture motion in multilayers.

Findings

Anisotropic spin-orbit torques significantly affect skyrmion trajectories.

Materials design can control skyrmion and antiskyrmion motion.

Insights enable improved manipulation of topological spin textures.

Abstract

Integrating topologically stabilized magnetic textures such as skyrmions as nanoscale information carriers into future technologies requires the reliable control by electric currents. Here, we uncover that the relevant skyrmion Hall effect, which describes the deflection of moving skyrmions from the current flow direction, acquires important corrections owing to anisotropic spin-orbit torques that alter the dynamics of topological spin structures. Thereby, we propose a viable means for manipulating the current-induced motion of skyrmions and antiskyrmions. Based on these insights, we demonstrate by first-principles calculations and symmetry arguments that the motion of spin textures can be tailored by materials design in magnetic multilayers of Ir/Co/Pt and Au/Co/Pt. Our work advances the understanding of the current-induced dynamics of these magnetic textures, which underlies a plethora of memory and logic applications.