RKKY-like interactions between two magnetic skyrmions

TL;DR

This paper uncovers RKKY-like oscillatory and anisotropic interactions between skyrmions in chiral magnetic films, revealing a universal physical principle crucial for skyrmion-based device design.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of universal, oscillatory, and anisotropic skyrmion-skyrmion interactions akin to RKKY coupling, with implications for skyrmion-based technologies.

Findings

Skyrmion interactions are oscillatory and anisotropic.

The interactions are universal for all tilted skyrmions.

A new physical principle for skyrmion design is revealed.

Abstract

Understanding skyrmion-skyrmion interactions is crucial for effectively manipulating the motion of multiple skyrmions in racetrack and logic devices. However, the fundamental nature and microscopic origins of these interactions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate skyrmion-skyrmion interactions in chiral magnetic films and reveal that they possess intrinsic, anisotropic, and oscillatory characteristics. Specifically, we demonstrate that the attractive and repulsive forces between skyrmions oscillate with a well-defined period, akin to the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) coupling observed between two magnetic moments in metals. Our analysis uncovers the essential physics behind a previously unrecognized universal wavy tail in the skyrmion spin texture. Notably, the resulting RKKY-like interaction between skyrmions is universal for all tilted skyrmions, irrespective of whether the titled easy-axis is from an external field or a crystalline magnetic anisotropy. These findings introduce a novel physical principle for the design of skyrmion molecules or skyrmion superstructures, which hold significant potential for applications in skyrmion-based spintronics and neuromorphic computing.