Scanning Nitrogen-Vacancy Center Magnetic Imaging of Skyrmions

ORAL

Abstract

Topological excitations in thin-film magnetic systems, known as skyrmions, have been proposed as the basis of near-future, high density and low power memory devices. Before practical devices based on these excitations can be realized, new materials must be designed that maximize skyrmion current-driven velocities, minimize the depinning current densities, and host nanoscale skyrmions at length scales competitive with existing technologies (<100 nm). In this work, we utilize a scanning probe based on the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond to magnetically image skyrmions with high spatial resolution, revealing variation and fluctuation of their shape. We observe hints of the interplay between skyrmion domain wall dynamics and pinning sites, an understanding of which will be important for future device applications.

*Air Force Office of Scientific Research PECASE award, DARPA QuASAR, and the MRSEC Program of the National Science Foundation under Award No. DMR 1121053

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Presenters

  • Matthew Pelliccione

    • Physics, University of California Santa Barbara

Authors

  • Alec Jenkins

    • Physics, University of California Santa Barbara

  • Guoqiang Yu

    • University of California, Los Angeles
    • Univ of California - Los Angeles
    • Department of Electrical Engineering, UCLA
    • BeiHang University
    • Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles

  • Susanne Baumann

    • Physics, University of California Santa Barbara

  • Simon Meynell

    • Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University
    • Physics, University of California Santa Barbara

  • Matthew Pelliccione

    • Physics, University of California Santa Barbara

  • Preeti Ovartchaiyapong

    • Physics, University of California Santa Barbara

  • kang wang

    • Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles

  • Ania Jayich

    • Physics, UC Santa Barbara
    • Physics, University of California - Santa Barbara
    • Physics, University of California Santa Barbara
    • Physics Department, Univ of California - Santa Barbara