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Micromagnetic simulations have been performed to investigate the controllability of the skyrmion position in antiferromagnetic nanotracks with their magnetic properties modified spatially. In this study we have modeled magnetic defects as local variations on the material parameters, such as the exchange stiffness, saturation magnetization, perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya constant. Thus, we have observed not only pinning (potential well) but also scattering (potential barrier) of antiferromagnetic skyrmions, when adjusting either a local increase or a local reduction for each material parameter. In order to control of the skyrmion motion it is very important to impose certain positions along the nanotrack where the skyrmion can stop. Magnetic defects incorporated intentionally in antiferromagnetic racetracks can be useful for such purpose. In order to provide guidelines for experimental studies, we vary both material parameters and size of the modified region. The found results show that the efficiency of skyrmion trap depends on a suitable combination of magnetic defect parameters. Furthermore, we discuss the reason why skyrmions are either attracted or repelled by a region magnetically modified., Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1810.03754

Micromagnetic simulations have been performed to investigate the suppression of the skyrmion Hall effect in nanotracks with their magnetic properties strategically modified. In particular, we study two categories of magnetically modified nanotracks. One of them, repulsive edges have been inserted in the nanotrack and, in the other, an attractive strip has been placed exactly on the longest axis of the nanotrack. Attractive and repulsive interactions can be generated from the engineering of magnetic properties. For instance, it is known that the skyrmion can be attracted to a region where the exchange stiffness constant is decreased. On the other hand, the skyrmion can be repelled from a region characterized by a local increase in the exchange stiffness constant. In order to provide a background for experimental studies, we vary not only the magnetic material parameters (exchange stiffness, perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya constant) but also the width of the region magnetically modified, containing either a local reduction or a local increase for each one of these magnetic properties. In the numerical simulations, the skyrmion motion was induced by a spin-polarized current and the found results indicate that it is possible to transport skyrmions around the longest axis of the nanotrack. In practice, the skyrmion Hall effect can be completely suppressed in magnetic nanotracks with strategically modified magnetic properties. Furthermore, we discuss in detail 6 ways to suppress the skyrmion Hall effect by the usage of nanotracks with repulsive edges and nanotracks with an attractive strip.

In this work we perform investigations of the competition between domain-wall pinning and attraction by anti-notches and finite device borders. The conditions for optimal geometries, which can attain a stable domain-wall pinning, are presented. This allow us the proposition of a three-terminals device based on domain-wall pinning. We obtain, with very small pulses of current applied parallel to the nanotrack, a fast motion of the domain-wall between anti-notches. In addition to this, a swift stabilization of the pinned domain-wall is observed with a high percentage of orthogonal magnetization, enabling high magnetoresistive signal measurement. Thus, our proposed device is a promising magnetoresistive random access memories with good scalability, duration, and high speed information storage.

In this work we have used micromagnetic simulations to report four ways to build traps for magnetic skyrmions. Magnetic defects have been modeled as local variations in the material parameters, such as the exchange stiffness, saturation magnetization, magnetocrystalline anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya constant. We observe both pinning (potential well) and scattering (potential barrier) traps when tuning either a local increase or a local reduction for each one of these magnetic properties. It is found that the skyrmion-defect aspect ratio is a crucial parameter to build traps for skyrmions. In particular, the efficiency of the trap is compromised if the defect size is smaller than the skyrmion size, because they interact weakly. On the other hand, if the defect size is larger than the skyrmion diameter, the skyrmion-defect interaction becomes evident. Thus, the strength of the skyrmion-defect interaction can be tuned by the modification of the magnetic properties within a region with suitable size. Furthermore, the basic physics behind the mechanisms for pinning and for scattering is discussed. In particular, we discover that skyrmions move towards the magnetic region which tends to maximize its diameter; it enables the magnetic system to minimize its energy. Thus, we are able to explain why skyrmions are either attracted or repelled by a region with modified magnetic properties. Results here presented are of utmost significance for the development and realization of future spintronic devices, in which skyrmions will work as information carriers.