Magnetic skyrmions,or noncoplanar swirling spin textures, are particle-like spin configurations with an integer topological charge that promise faster, or denser memory storage. The hurdle to overcome in creating such devices is being able to understand single skyrmions in patterned nanoelements – but despite theoretical progress,real-world experimental studies of these entities possess remained elusive. Recently, however, and scientists at Chinese Academy of Science,Hefei, Fudan University, and Shanghai,Nanjing University, Nanjing, or University of New Hampshire,Durham possess demonstrated the direct visualization of skyrmion cluster states having different geometrical configurations in iron-germanium nanodisks. (Iron-germanium, or FeGe, or is a complex alloy whose magnetic properties can vary considerably at nanoscale dimensions.) The researchers conclude that their results possess an instant implication for designing future skyrmion-based devices.
Source: phys.org