SPP 2137:  Skyrmionics: Topological Spin Phenomena in Real-Space for Applications

• Subject Area: Physics ; Chemistry ; Computer Science, Systems and Electrical Engineering ; Materials Science and Engineering ; Mathematics
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 360506545

The main objective of this priority programme will be research towards the development of devices and applications based on topological spin solitons in real space, alluding to skyrmions as most prominent examples. Our proposal is motivated by the recent discovery of skyrmion lattices and isolated skyrmions as generic magnetic properties of bulk compounds, thinfilms, interfaces, surfaces and tailored artificial systems.Studies of the fundamental properties of these systems have revealed several remarkable features, in particular, greatly enhanced stability due to their non-trivial topological winding, new capabilities to create and destroy magnetically encoded information, efficientcoupling to spin currents generating spin transfer torques at dramatically reduced current densities, and last but not least, the capability to purpose-design broad-band spin dynamics and logic devices. Experimental and theoretical evidence that thin films,nano-wires and nano-dots are particularly amenable to the formation of topological spin solitons, underscore their exceptional potential for major breakthroughs in applications. In fact, most recently materials have been discovered which support skyrmions up to 400K. Moreover, major advances in thin film heterostructures demonstrate that interface-asymmetry driven skyrmions at room temperature may be tailored for applications.The main new aspects to be addressed by the proposed priority programme concern magnetic systems with strong solitonic and especially non-trivial topological characteristics stabilized by anti-symmetric (chiral) spin-orbit interactions. These interactions are ubiquitous in systems lacking inversion symmetry. The priority programme will be organised in three research areas:(1) Topological spin solitons in thin films(2) Topological spin solitons in nanostructured systems(3) Topological spin solitons in artificial composite systemsIn view, that the pioneering discoveries on magnetic skyrmions have been made dominantly by German groups located in München, Köln, Hamburg, Jülich and Dresden, the German community, based on this initial work, assumes currently a lead role. The priority programme aims to connect the spintronics community with fundamental research on new materials, as well as engineering, mathematics and chemistry related aspects. The priority programme this way aims to establish a specific platform for collaboration of the wider German community with its very strong history in spintronics in order to advance fundamental research on topological spin phenomena in real space in an effort towards applications.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• International Connection: France, Iceland

Projects

• All-oxide epitaxial heterostructures for the generation and electric field control of topological spin textures (Applicant Lindfors-Vrejoiu, Ionela )
• Amorphous ferrimagnets as a platform for antiferromagnetic-like DMI skyrmions (Applicants Büttner, Felix ;  Radu, Florin )
• Antiferromagnetic Skyrmions in ultra-thin oxide films (Applicant von Bergmann, Kirsten )
• Antiskyrmions on surfaces by anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (Applicant Fischer, Jeison )
• Atomic-scale skyrmions driven by lateral spin-polarized currents (Applicant Krause, Stefan )
• Control of topological defects in space and time: Floquet skyrmionics (Applicant Rosch, Achim )
• Controlled creation and dynamics of topological magnetic textures in ferro- and antiferromagnets (Applicants Everschor-Sitte, Karin ;  Gomonay, Olena )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant Pfleiderer, Christian )
• Current-induced motion of antiskyrmions in Heusler thin films (Applicant Parkin, Stuart )
• Detection of skyrmion phases in spintronic materials using neutron scattering (Applicant Inosov, Dmytro )
• Displaceable magnetic skyrmions in ultrathin films on superconductors for configurable Majorana state (Applicants Mokrousov, Yuriy ;  Wulfhekel, Wulf )
• Electric Control of Skyrmions and Antiskyrmions in Multiferroic Nanostructures and Epitaxial Films (Applicant Kézsmárki, István )
• Emergent electrodynamics of topological spin textures (Applicant Pfleiderer, Christian )
• Hybrid three-dimensional solitons for applications (Applicant Kiselev, Ph.D., Nikolai S. )
• iAFMskyrmions - Intrinsic antiferromagnetic skyrmions from first-principles: stabilization, interaction with defects and efficient detection (Applicant Lounis, Samir )
• Injection, motion, and interaction of magnetic skyrmions (Applicants McCord, Jeffrey ;  Münzenberg, Markus ;  Waldorf, Konrad )
• Interface stabilized skyrmions in oxide structures for skyrmionics (Applicant Blügel, Stefan )
• Magnetic skyrmions-bubble hybrids in nanolayers of metallic ferromagnets: interplay of the magnetodipolar and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (Applicant Bogdanov, Alexei N. )
• Magneto-chiral transport effects of skyrmions (Applicant Mokrousov, Yuriy )
• Magneto-Transport at Work: In-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy of Topological Spin Solitons (Applicants Pohl, Darius ;  Rellinghaus, Bernd )
• Manipulation of single skyrmions and skyrmion clusters with electron currents, heat, microwaves, and magnons (Applicant Back, Christian )
• Mesoscopic topological spin textures, spin and topological Hall effect in magnetic thin films and heterostructures (Applicant Felser, Claudia )
• Nonequilibrium quantum dynamics of current-driven magnetic skyrmions (Applicants Häusler, Wolfgang ;  Thorwart, Michael )
• Proximity-induced effects and novel functionalities in superconducting/ferromagnetic heterostructures with magnetic skyrmions (Applicant Eremin, Ilya )
• Skyrmion spectroscopy in ferro- and antiferromagnets (Applicant Pirro, Philipp )
• Skyrmions in antiferromagnetic and highly anisotropic environments (Applicant Bode, Matthias )
• “Skyrmions in confined spaces: A local-scale SPM analysis” (Applicant Eng, Lukas M. )
• Spin dynamics of hybrid skyrmion-magnon solitons (Applicant Weiler, Mathias )
• Steering of Magnetic Skyrmions in Ion Beam Engineered Multilayer Films (Applicant Becherer, Markus )
• Thermally excited Skyrmions: from individual to collective dynamics (Applicants Kläui, Mathias ;  Nowak, Ulrich )
• Topological magnetization dynamics in skyrmion materials (Applicant Garst, Markus )
• Topological Nernst effect of individual skyrmions (Applicant Schumacher, Hans-Werner )
• Topological spin structures beyond skyrmions from first-principles (Applicant Heinze, Stefan )
• TOPSTONE - Topological Solitons In Frustrated Magnets (Applicants Sinova, Ph.D., Jairo ;  Zarzuela, Ph.D., Ricardo )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Christian Pfleiderer