title: Electrical detection of magnetic skyrmions by tunnelling non-collinear magnetoresistance.
abstract: Magnetic skyrmions are localized non-collinear spin textures with a high potential for future spintronic applications. Skyrmion phases have been discovered in a number of materials and a focus of current research is to prepare, detect and manipulate individual skyrmions for implementation in devices. The local experimental characterization of skyrmions has been performed by, for example, Lorentz microscopy or atomic-scale tunnel magnetoresistance measurements using spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy. Here we report a drastic change of the differential tunnel conductance for magnetic skyrmions that arises from their non-collinearity: mixing between the spin channels locally alters the electronic structure, which makes a skyrmion electronically distinct from its ferromagnetic environment. We propose this tunnelling non-collinear magnetoresistance as a reliable all-electrical detection scheme for skyrmions with an easy implementation into device architectures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, Hamburg 20355, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanneken
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Leibnizstrasse 15, Kiel 24098, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, Hamburg 20355, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubetzka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Leibnizstrasse 15, Kiel 24098, Germany.
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7025-4426
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dupé
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, Hamburg 20355, Germany.
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Romming
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, Hamburg 20355, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: von Bergmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, Hamburg 20355, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiesendanger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Leibnizstrasse 15, Kiel 24098, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinze