Statistical Signatures of Topology and Chirality in the Annihilation Field Distributions of Magnetic Thin Films

Abstract Magnetic skyrmions are winding spin textures whose proposed stability underpins their promise for next‐generation spintronic devices. While this topological stabilization is widely theorized to suppress collapse and disorder‐driven annihilation, direct experimental validation has remained challenging, often requiring complex imaging techniques or indirect electrical probes. Here, a simple and general method is introduced to probe skyrmion topology statistically by analyzing annihilation field distributions in large skyrmion bubble arrays using wide‐field Kerr microscopy. By systematically applying in‐plane (IP) magnetic fields, the skyrmion topology is continuously tuned, enabling transitions from topologically nontrivial to trivial states. It is found that this topological transition drives a clear shift in annihilation behavior: from broad, thermally activated distributions (stochastic collapse) to narrow, sharply defined distributions (deterministic collapse), confirmed by micromagnetic simulations. This direct correlation between topological state and statistical stability provides a new route for chirality detection and skyrmion state control. This method enables accessible identification of skyrmion topology and opens new possibilities for device concepts: deterministic collapse for synchronized skyrmion deletion in memory, and topology‐tunable stochasticity for probabilistic computing and random bit generation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-12-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202526052
Primary Topic
Magnetic properties of thin films
Type
article
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article

Statistical Signatures of Topology and Chirality in the Annihilation Field Distributions of Magnetic Thin Films

Advanced Functional Materials
Magnetic properties of thin films
article

Statistical Signatures of Topology and Chirality in the Annihilation Field Distributions of Magnetic Thin Films

article en

Abstract

Abstract Magnetic skyrmions are winding spin textures whose proposed stability underpins their promise for next‐generation spintronic devices. While this topological stabilization is widely theorized to suppress collapse and disorder‐driven annihilation, direct experimental validation has remained challenging, often requiring complex imaging techniques or indirect electrical probes. Here, a simple and general method is introduced to probe skyrmion topology statistically by analyzing annihilation field distributions in large skyrmion bubble arrays using wide‐field Kerr microscopy. By systematically applying in‐plane (IP) magnetic fields, the skyrmion topology is continuously tuned, enabling transitions from topologically nontrivial to trivial states. It is found that this topological transition drives a clear shift in annihilation behavior: from broad, thermally activated distributions (stochastic collapse) to narrow, sharply defined distributions (deterministic collapse), confirmed by micromagnetic simulations. This direct correlation between topological state and statistical stability provides a new route for chirality detection and skyrmion state control. This method enables accessible identification of skyrmion topology and opens new possibilities for device concepts: deterministic collapse for synchronized skyrmion deletion in memory, and topology‐tunable stochasticity for probabilistic computing and random bit generation.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 36(19)
University of Augsburg (DE), Brown University (US), Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (DE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 34%
Magnetic properties of thin films
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Statistical Signatures of Topology and Chirality in the Annihilation Field Distributions of Magnetic Thin Films · Advanced Functional Materials (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS