Diffusion asymmetry of repulsive skyrmions in structured environment
The diffusion of matter in structured environments can give rise to emergent phenomena that do not occur in unstructured environments. Here, we report the asymmetric diffusion of magnetic skyrmions in structured chambers, where repulsive skyrmion–skyrmion and skyrmion-environment interactions play vital roles in their diffusive behavior. By fabricating an off-center asymmetric gate separating two chambers, skyrmions could demonstrate asymmetric diffusion through the gate, which depends on the gate symmetry, the gate opening width, and the skyrmion density. Although the diffusion is affected by the skyrmion density, the simulation outcomes are generally in line with rate equation solutions assuming time-independent diffusion rates. Diffusive skyrmions within the chamber can transiently form bonds through repulsive skyrmion–skyrmion interactions, leading to emergent rotational dynamics that is unique to interacting skyrmion systems. Our results uncover asymmetric diffusive behavior of skyrmions, offering insights that will appeal to a wide audience interested in magnetism, active matter, and statistical physics.
Authors
- Xichao Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9656-9696)
- Masahito Mochizuki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0128-0580)
- Yafeng Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7968-1192)
- C. Reichhardt
- Yuanli Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8753-6278)
- C. J. O. Reichhardt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3487-5089)
Institutions
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
- Waseda University (JP)
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK)
- Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CN)
- University of York (GB)
- Nanjing University (CN)
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Spintronics
- Published
- 2026-07-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-026-00154-y
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee
- Waseda University
- National Nuclear Security Administration
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Japan Science and Technology Agency
- National Key Research and Development Program of China
- Shenzhen Fundamental Research and Discipline Layout project
- Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology
- Los Alamos National Laboratory