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Real-space imaging of confined magnetic skyrmion tubes

2020

Article

mms


Magnetic skyrmions are topologically nontrivial particles with a potential application as information elements in future spintronic device architectures. While they are commonly portrayed as two dimensional objects, in reality magnetic skyrmions are thought to exist as elongated, tube-like objects extending through the thickness of the host material. The study of this skyrmion tube state (SkT) is vital for furthering the understanding of skyrmion formation and dynamics for future applications. However, direct experimental imaging of skyrmion tubes has yet to be reported. Here, we demonstrate the real-space observation of skyrmion tubes in a lamella of FeGe using resonant magnetic x-ray imaging and comparative micromagnetic simulations, confirming their extended structure. The formation of these structures at the edge of the sample highlights the importance of confinement and edge effects in the stabilisation of the SkT state, opening the door to further investigation into this unexplored dimension of the skyrmion spin texture.

Author(s): Birch, M. T. and Cortés-Ortu no, D. and Turnbull, L. A. and Wilson, M. N. and Groß, F. and Träger, N. and Laurenson, A. and Bukin, N. and Moody, S. H. and Weigand, M. and Schütz, G. and Popescu, H. and Fan, R. and Steadman, P. and Verezhak, J. A. T. and Balakrishnan, G. and Loudon, J. C. and Twitchett-Harrison, A. C. and Hovorka, O. and Fangohr, H. and Ogrin, F. and Gräfe, J. and Hatton, P. D.
Journal: Nature Communications
Volume: 11
Pages: 1726
Year: 2020

Department(s): Modern Magnetic Systems
Bibtex Type: Article (article)
Paper Type: Journal

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-1547
Eprint: 1909.04528
Language: eng
URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15474-8

BibTex

@article{escidoc:3177456,
  title = {{Real-space imaging of confined magnetic skyrmion tubes}},
  author = {Birch, M. T. and Cort\'es-Ortu\~no, D. and Turnbull, L. A. and Wilson, M. N. and Gro\ss, F. and Tr\"ager, N. and Laurenson, A. and Bukin, N. and Moody, S. H. and Weigand, M. and Sch\"utz, G. and Popescu, H. and Fan, R. and Steadman, P. and Verezhak, J. A. T. and Balakrishnan, G. and Loudon, J. C. and Twitchett-Harrison, A. C. and Hovorka, O. and Fangohr, H. and Ogrin, F. and Gr\"afe, J. and Hatton, P. D.},
  journal = {Nature Communications},
  volume = {11},
  pages = {1726},
  year = {2020},
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-1547},
  eprint = {1909.04528},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15474-8}
}