Recent progress in magnetic skyrmion morphology

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions have attracted significant attentions for their promising applications in next-generation spintronic devices. Understanding the static and dynamic properties of skyrmions is crucial for both the fundamental interest and for the design of efficient spintronic devices. Here, we present an overview of the historical and recent developments in the studies of skyrmion morphology from our perspective. First, we review the studies of skyrmion profile and size in an isolated skyrmion structure and show how the topological properties of skyrmion structure can influence the skyrmion dynamics. Second, we review the progress on understanding the relation between skyrmion lattice, stripy states, maze-like states and their mixture observed in experiments. The temperature and field effects in skyrmion lattice formation will also be discussed. Third, we briefly review the developments of composite skyrmions such as skyrmioniums and skyrmion bags. Finally, we present conclusions and outlook on some of the opportunities in skyrmion physics.