Electric Field Controlled Mechanism for the Deflection of Skyrmions

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are vortex-like, swirls of magnetisation whose topological protection and particle-like nature have suggested them to be suitable for a number of novel spintronic devices. One such application is skyrmionic computing, which has the advantage over conventional schemes due to the amalgamation of logic calculations and data storage. Using small-angle neutron scattering from Cu2OSeO3, and applying electric and magnetic fields, we find that the direction of the skyrmion-coexisting conical states can be manipulated by varying the electric field, and explain this using a free energy approach. Our findings unlock the prospect of creating a number of skyrmion devices which may constitute part of a skyrmion computer, as the direction of a skyrmion within a nanosized racetrack can be manipulated into different channels by controllably changing the direction of the localised conical state. We provide time-dependant micromagnetic simulations to demonstrate such a device: a skyrmion double transistor.