Perpendicular reading of single confined magnetic skyrmions

Dax M. Crum (), Mohammed Bouhassoune, Juba Bouaziz, Benedikt Schweflinghaus, Stefan Blügel and Samir Lounis ()
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Dax M. Crum: Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin
Mohammed Bouhassoune: Peter Grünberg Institut and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA
Juba Bouaziz: Peter Grünberg Institut and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA
Benedikt Schweflinghaus: Peter Grünberg Institut and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA
Stefan Blügel: Peter Grünberg Institut and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA
Samir Lounis: Peter Grünberg Institut and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Thin-film sub-5 nm magnetic skyrmions constitute an ultimate scaling alternative for future digital data storage. Skyrmions are robust noncollinear spin textures that can be moved and manipulated by small electrical currents. Here we show here a 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 from first principles how the isolated skyrmion local-density-of-states which tunnels into the vacuum, when compared with 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 up to ∼20% for magnetic skyrmions in Pd/Fe/Ir(111) thin films. In single skyrmions, engineering this spin-mixing magnetoresistance could possibly be incorporated in future magnetic storage technologies.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9541

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