Configurable pixelated skyrmions on nanoscale magnetic grids

TL;DR

This paper investigates the current-driven behavior of pixelated magnetic skyrmions on nanoscale grids, revealing their quantized, configurable properties and potential for digital memory and logic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to create and control pixelated skyrmions on nanoscale grids, enabling quantized position, size, and shape for advanced spintronic devices.

Findings

Skyrmions are quantized to grid positions and sizes.

The skyrmion Hall effect is suppressed by grid pinning.

Pixelated skyrmions can be used for programmable memory and logic.

Abstract

Topological spin textures can serve as non-volatile information carriers. Here we study the current-induced dynamics of an isolated magnetic skyrmion on a nanoscale square-grid pinning pattern formed by orthogonal defect lines with reduced magnetic anisotropy. The skyrmion on the square grid can be pixelated with a quantized size of the grid. We demonstrate that the position, size, and shape of skyrmion on the square grid are electrically configurable. The skyrmion center is quantized to be on the grid and the skyrmion may show a hopping motion instead of a continuous motion. We find that the skyrmion Hall effect can be perfectly prohibited due to the pinning effect of the grid. The pixelated skyrmion can be harnessed to build future programmable racetrack memory, multistate memory, and logic computing device. Our results will be a basis for digital information storage and computation based on pixelated topological spin textures on artificial pinning patterns.