Pinning and movement of individual nanoscale magnetic skyrmions via defects

Abstract

<p>An understanding of the pinning of magnetic skyrmions to defects is crucial for the development of<br> future spintronic applications. While pinning is desirable for a precise positioning of magnetic<br> skyrmions it is detrimental when they are to be moved through a material.Weuse scanning tunneling<br> microscopy (STM) to study the interaction between atomic scale defects and magnetic skyrmions that<br> are only a few nanometers in diameter. The studied pinning centers range from single atom inlayer<br> defects and adatoms to clusters adsorbed on the surface of our model system.Wefind very different<br> pinning strengths and identify preferred positions of the skyrmion. The interaction between a cluster<br> and a skyrmion can be sufficiently strong for the skyrmion to follow when the cluster is moved across<br> the surface by lateral manipulation with the STMtip.</p