Programmable skyrmion subtractor based on ion irradiation

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions exhibit great potential for spintronic devices due to their topological stability and low-power operation, with their stability and dynamics regulated by multiple magnetic parameters. Here, we employ ion irradiation to synergistically modulate magnetic parameters, investigating current-driven skyrmion motion through irradiation gates and developing a sequential-collaboration skyrmion-based programmable subtractor. The comparison between the ideal and practical gates reveals that skyrmion transport is primarily governed by intrinsic parameters of the ion irradiation gate, thereby validating its reliability. By regulating the driving current density and ion irradiation dose, N + 1 programmable subtraction operation modes can be achieved for the N-skyrmions system. The stable operation of the subtractor has been verified across different device geometries and skyrmion configurations, as well as its programmability. These results provide a valuable paradigm for multi-parameter collaborative regulation of skyrmion devices and valuable insights for developing spintronic devices using ion-irradiation-based magnetic parameter engineering.