Summary of our recent paper on Skyrmion dynamics in race track memory devices:
Xichao Zhang, G. P. Zhao, Hans Fangohr, J. Ping Liu, W. X. Xia, J. Xia & F. J. MorvanSkyrmion-skyrmion and skyrmion-edge repulsions in skyrmion-based racetrack memory in
Scientific Reports 5, 7643 (2015)
(Online: journal arXiv.org)
Context: Skyrmion racetrack
Racetrack memory
The racetrack memory is a proposed data storage technology in which bits are encoded as magnetic domains on a wire. Using an electric current, the domains can be moved along the wire, and made to pass one or multiple read/write points (which are static.)
Skyrmion racetrack memory
Recent work from 2013 shows that a similar design can potentially be used where the domain walls are replaced with skyrmions. Skyrmions are particular patterns in the magnetic field, and each skyrmion can be regarded as a particle (within some limits). Instead of encoding 1 with a magnetic domain pointing up, and 0 with a domain pointing down, one could encode 1 with the presence of a skyrmion and zero with its absence in such a skyrmion track memory.
This study
In this study we study some of the details that are important to realise this design, including the repulsion behaviour of skyrmions, the optimum spacing of skyrmions in a racetrack, and a mechanism to allow skyrmions to escape at the end of the track.
Skyrmion repulsion
For di = 60 nm, as shown in subplots c and d, both skyrmionic bits move 13.8 nm with a steady velocity of 46 m/s. We see that an initial spacing of 30nm is too small, and 60nm is sufficient.
In the manuscript, we study how the skyrmion repulsion varies as a function of skyrmion distance, and other parameters, such as the applied field, the track width and anisotropy.
Skyrmion clogging
When skyrmions are moved along a wire, it is an important part of the design to have some mechanism that allows the skyrmions to self-destruct at the end of the wire.
Summary
- Study skyrmion motion in interfacial DMI based skyrmion nanotrack memory
- Study skyrmion-skyrmion repulsion and
- Skyrmion-edge repulsion in the nano tracks
- Using OOMMF simulation package
- Propose a end of track geometry to support efficient escaping of skyrmions from the track
Future work
Skyrmionics is an active field of research - if you are interested to pursue a PhD in computational modelling of such systems, please get in touch.
Full text access and paper details
Xichao Zhang, G. P. Zhao, Hans Fangohr, J. Ping Liu, W. X. Xia, J. Xia & F. J. Morvan, Skyrmion-skyrmion and skyrmion-edge repulsions in skyrmion-based racetrack memory, in Nature Scientific Reports 5, 7643 (2015)
PDFs are available from:
Related materials
- Poster, presented at ICCP 2015, Singapore
- Another blog entry about this paper in spanish by Francis Villatoro, @emulenews