Scientists at NIST have used neutron imaging and reconstruction algorithms to visualize 3D skyrmion structures in bulk materials for the first time. Skyrmions are tornado-like magnetic arrangements that could revolutionize energy-efficient data storage and processing in spintronics.
The NIST-led team created 3D images of skyrmion tubes in cobalt-zinc-manganese samples using neutron tomography. The images revealed how defects in the crystal lattice affect skyrmion shapes and propagation.
Understanding and controlling these magnetic structures is crucial for developing next-generation spintronic devices that could store data more densely and efficiently than current semiconductor-based systems. The research could lead to practical applications within a decade.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2023/09/imaging-elusive-skyrmion
Keywords: Spintronics, Magnetic Skyrmions, Neutron Imaging, Quantum Devices, Spintronics Properties
