Open AccessOverview of magnetic skyrmion-based devices and applications
Author(s) -
Jingbo Xia,
Han Zong-Yi,
Yifan Song,
WenJing Jiang,
Lin Liu-Rong,
Xichao Zhang,
Xiaoxi Liu,
Yan Zhou
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
wuli xuebao
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.199
H-Index - 47
ISSN - 1000-3290
DOI - 10.7498/aps.67.20180894
Subject(s) - skyrmion , physics , transistor , racetrack memory , function (biology) , voltage , topology (electrical circuits) , computer science , condensed matter physics , electrical engineering , quantum mechanics , memory management , computer hardware , semiconductor memory , engineering , evolutionary biology , interleaved memory , biology
Magnetic skyrmions possess topologically non-trivial particle-like nanoscale domain wall structures, which have reasonably good stability and unique dynamic properties and can be controlled by magnetic fields, electric fields, and electric currents. Therefore, magnetic skyrmions are expected to be used as novel information carriers in the next-generation high-density, low-energy-consumption, and non-volatile information storage and logic computing devices. Since the first experimental observation of magnetic skyrmions in 2009, a number of skyrmion-based device prototypes have been proposed. In this article, we review the recently proposed skyrmion-based devices and applications, including skyrmion-based racetrack memory, logic computing device, transistor-like functional device, and nano-oscillator. We first discuss advantages of skyrmion-based racetrack memory and solutions for some problems we are facing currently. We then introduce the duplication and merging of magnetic skyrmions and the skyrmion-based logic OR and AND gates. We also introduce the switch function of skyrmion-based transistor-like functional device. The switch function is realized via a voltage gate and controlled by the applied voltage as well as the driving spin current. Besides, a brief introduction of the skyrmion-based nano-oscillator is given. In addition, we introduce several possible methods to encode binary information in skyrmion-based devices. Finally, we discuss some possible future novel applications based on magnetic skyrmions.