Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 61: Skyrmion Dynamics

MA 61.8: Talk

Friday, March 24, 2017, 11:15–11:30, HSZ 401

Magnetic Skyrmions on a Two-Lane Racetrack — •Jan Müller — Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität zu Köln, D-50937 Köln, Germany

Magnetic skyrmions are particle-like textures in the magnetization, characterized by a topological winding number. Nanometer-scale skyrmions have been observed at room temperature in magnetic multilayer structures. The combination of small size, topological quantization, and their efficient electric manipulation makes them interesting candidates for information carriers in high-performance memory devices. A skyrmion racetrack memory has been suggested where information is encoded in the distance between skyrmions moving in a one-dimensional nanostrip. Here, I propose an alternative design where skyrmions move in two (or more) parallel lanes and the information is stored in the lane number of each skyrmion. Such a multilane track can be constructed by controlling the height profile of the nanostrip. Repulsive skyrmion-skyrmion interactions in narrow nanostrips guarantee that skyrmions on different lanes cannot pass each other. Current pulses can be used to induce a lane change. Combining these elements provides a robust, efficient design of skyrmion-based storage devices.