2020: FEFU scientists have proposed a way to create skirmions
On November 20, 2020 it became known that the uchenyedalnevostochny federal university (DVFU) together with foreign colleagues offered a way of creation of skirmion - magnetic quasiparticles - and skirmionny lattices by means of which it is possible to code, transfer, process information and to create topological images with the resolution less than 100 nanometers. This is the path to miniature post-silicon electronics, topological cryptography techniques and green data centers, whose load on the Earth's ecosystem may decrease. An article about this is published in ACS Nano.
As explained, skyrmions are non-trivial magnetic structures that under certain conditions arise in thin-film magnetic materials with a layer thickness of one to several nanometers. Scientists have formed densely packed stable arrays of skyrmions, affecting the thin-film magnetic structure with the local magnetic field of the magneto-force microscope probe.
The team first implemented topological nanolithography, obtaining nanoscale topological images in which each individual skirmion plays the role of a pixel, as in digital photography. Skirmions-pixels are not visible in the optical range and for their decryption, as well as for creation, a magneto-power microscope is needed.
 | Skirmions driven by current pulses can be used to create neuromorphic chips as basic elements that mimic the action potential of biological neurons. Arrays of chips in which each tiny element-neuron can communicate with another element through moving and interacting skyrmions will have energy efficiency and computational power. Another interesting application may be visual (or topological) cryptography, in which a message is encrypted by a topological image from a set of ordered skyrmions. Deciphering such a message will require, firstly, knowledge of the coordinates of the nanoscale image and, secondly, the presence of special equipment in the form of a magnetic power microscope with proper sensitivity to the scattering fields of skyrmions. In the event of an attempt to "hack" the message, incorrectly selected parameters for reading the topological image will lead to its destruction. As of November 2020, approximately 25 MB of information can be recorded on a square millimeter of magnetic film. By reducing the size of the skyrmions to 10 nm, a capacity of 2.5 Gb/mm2 can be obtained. said Alexander Samardak, one of the authors of the study idea, doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, vice-rector of FEFU for scientific work |  |
The limitation of the approach is that recording information by applying local point magnetic fields is so far a very slow procedure that is not suitable for mass implementation.
Alexander Samardak said that by controlling the size of the scan pitch with a power magnetic microscope probe, scientists were able to control the size and density of the packaging of skyrmions. For example, if the size of the skirmions is less than 100 nanometers, they can be used as a base for tank computing (reservoir computing), tuning logic and magnon crystals - the basis of magnon processors and communication microwave devices of the sub-THz and THz range, which will be more energy efficient compared to existing electronics. Technology opens the way to future green data centers.
| | Skirmion can play the role of an information bit carrier: depending on the direction of polarization (up or down), two states are possible - 0 or 1, respectively. On the basis of skirmions, it is possible to create a magnetic memory in which there are no mechanical parts, as in hard magnetic disks, but the bits of information themselves move. Moreover, ordered two-dimensional arrays of skyrmions can play the role of artificial magnon crystals through which spin waves propagate, rather than electric current transmitting information from the source to the receiver without heating the working elements. said Alexey Ognev, first author of the article, professor, head of the FEF film technology laboratory | |
Using the developed technology, scientists plan to reduce the size of skirmions and work on the implementation of practical devices based on them.
International scientific teams are searching for alternative materials and approaches to replace silicon electronics devices built on CMOS technology (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor). Transistors created using this technology are no longer physically impossible to reduce, and the further development of the electronic industry is in question.
One promising alternative to CMOS transistors is thin-film magnetic materials with a layer thickness of one to several nanometers, in which skyrmions are born.
Earlier, scientists at the FEFU School of Natural Sciences, together with foreign colleagues, proposed a method for controlling the Dzialoshinsky-Moriy interaction in thin-film magnetic structures using controlled roughness.
See also
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