Stray field signatures of Néel textured skyrmions in Ir/Fe/Co/Pt multilayer films
Authors: A. Yagil, A. Almoalem, Anjan Soumyanarayanan , Anthony K. C. Tan , M. Raju , Christos Panagopoulos, and O. M. Auslaender
Published in: Appl. Phys. Lett. 112, 192403, 2018.
Skyrmions are nanoscale spin configurations with topological properties that hold great promise for spintronic devices. Here, we establish their Néel texture, helicity, and size in Ir/Fe/Co/Pt multilayer films by constructing a multipole expansion to model their stray field signatures and applying it to magnetic force microscopy images. Furthermore, the demonstrated sensitivity to inhomogeneity in skyrmion properties, coupled with a unique capability to estimate the pinning force governing dynamics, portend broad applicability in the burgeoning field of topological spin textures.