Skyrmions are topologically protected, two-dimensional, localized hedgehogs and whorls of spin. Originally invented as a concept in field theory for nuclear interactions, skyrmions are central to a wide range of phenomena in condensed matter. Their r
ealization at room temperature (RT) in magnetic multilayers has generated considerable interest, fueled by technological prospects and the access granted to fundamental questions. The interaction of skyrmions with charge carriers gives rise to exotic electrodynamics, such as the topological Hall effect (THE), the Hall response to an emergent magnetic field, a manifestation of the skyrmion Berry-phase. The proposal that THE can be used to detect skyrmions needs to be tested quantitatively. For that it is imperative to develop comprehensive understanding of skyrmions and other chiral textures, and their electrical fingerprint. Here, using Hall transport and magnetic imaging, we track the evolution of magnetic textures and their THE signature in a technologically viable multilayer film as a function of temperature ($T$) and out-of-plane applied magnetic field ($H$). We show that topological Hall resistivity ($rho_mathrm{TH}$) scales with the density of isolated skyrmions ($n_mathrm{sk}$) over a wide range of $T$, confirming the impact of the skyrmion Berry-phase on electronic transport. We find that at higher $n_mathrm{sk}$ skyrmions cluster into worms which carry considerable topological charge, unlike topologically-trivial spin spirals. While we establish a qualitative agreement between $rho_mathrm{TH}(H,T)$ and areal density of topological charge $n_mathrm{T}(H,T)$, our detailed quantitative analysis shows a much larger $rho_mathrm{TH}$ than the prevailing theory predicts for observed $n_mathrm{T}$.
Skyrmions are nanoscale spin configurations with topological properties that hold great promise for spintronic devices. Here, we establish their Neel 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 (MFM) images. Furthermore, the demonstrated sensitivity to inhomogeneity in skyrmion properties, coupled with a unique capability to estimate the pinning force governing dynamics, portends broad applicability in the burgeoning field of topological spin textures.
We report controlled local manipulation of single vortices by low temperature magnetic force microscope (MFM) in a thin film of superconducting Nb. We are able to position the vortices in arbitrary configurations and to measure the distribution of lo
cal depinning forces. This technique opens up new possibilities for the characterization and use of vortices in superconductors.
We report on measurements of quantum many-body modes in ballistic wires and their dependence on Coulomb interactions, obtained from tunneling between two parallel wires in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure while varying electron density. We observe two s
pin modes and one charge mode of the coupled wires, and map the dispersion velocities of the modes down to a critical density, at which spontaneous localization is observed. Theoretical calculations of the charge velocity agree well with the data, although they also predict an additional charge mode that is not observed. The measured spin velocity is found to be smaller than theoretically predicted.
We have measured the low temperature conductance of a one-dimensional island embedded in a single mode quantum wire. The quantum wire is fabricated using the cleaved edge overgrowth technique and the tunneling is through a single state of the island.
Our results show that while the resonance line shape fits the derivative of the Fermi function the intrinsic line width decreases in a power law fashion as the temperature is reduced. This behavior agrees quantitatively with Furusakis model for resonant tunneling in a Luttinger-liquid.
