From randomly distributed skyrmions to nanometer position control in magnetic thin films (IMAGE)
Caption
Figure 1: From randomly distributed skyrmions to nanometer position control in magnetic thin films: Two approaches either employing helium-ion irradiation or back-side reflective masks allow for spatial control of skyrmion creation and motion on the nanometer scale. The black–white contrast represents the film’s magnetization pointing either “up” or “down” with respect to the plane. The skyrmions appear as black dots on the background of the otherwise homogeneously magnetized (white) thin film. The skyrmions are created either by electric current (blue arrow) or laser pulses (red arrow). In case of unpatterned thin films, they randomly distribute in the film, while they form at predefined positions in a square lattice using the described patterning methods.
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MBI / Lisa-Marie Kern
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