Controlling Magnetic Swirls with Spin Currents: A New Frontier in Spintronics

Spin currents and magnetic skyrmions

In a striking advance for future electronics and spintronics, researchers have found a novel way to excite and control magnetic skyrmions—tiny vortex-like structures in magnetic materials—by using electric currents. The study, led by teams from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tiangong University, explores how spin-polarized currents in the material Fe₃Sn₂ (iron tin) can induce vibrational modes in skyrmions, unlocking new techniques to detect and manipulate spin currents at the nanoscale.

Published in Nature Communications, the research paves the way for future developments in low-power memory, neuromorphic computing, and advanced magnetic sensors.

What Are Skyrmions—and Why Are They Important?

Skyrmions are stable, swirling magnetic configurations that can exist in certain types of materials. Because they are small, robust, and highly mobile, skyrmions are considered promising candidates for next-generation information storage and logic devices. They can be moved or reoriented with minimal energy input, making them ideal for energy-efficient electronics.

Vibrating Skyrmions with Electric Currents

Using Fe₃Sn₂, a material known to support stable skyrmions even at elevated temperatures, the team sent spin-polarized currents through the sample and used optical detection techniques to monitor its response in real time. Remarkably, the skyrmions exhibited two distinct resonance behaviors:

  • 💨 A breathing mode — where the skyrmion periodically expands and contracts, like lungs.
  • 🌀 A rotational mode — where the magnetic swirl rotates in place.

These modes were predicted by theory but had not been observed so clearly until now. They offer new handles for controlling magnetic states via spin currents—a major goal in the emerging field of spintronics.

Revealing Hidden Currents

One of the most intriguing discoveries was the detection of “damping-like torque”, a signature of previously invisible spin currents. This suggests that the interaction between spin and orbit in electrons—called spin-orbit torque—rather than traditional spin-transfer torque, was responsible for the skyrmion excitations.

Using advanced simulations, the researchers linked changes in resonance width to internal spin dynamics—offering a new way to map how spin currents travel through complex magnetic environments. This could lead to high-precision spin current detectors embedded in future chips.

Implications for Future Technology

Understanding and harnessing spin currents is a key challenge for developing non-volatile, ultrafast, and low-power computing hardware. This study contributes critical insights into:

  • 🔍 Spin-based control of magnetic memory elements
  • 🧠 Realizing neuromorphic devices that mimic brain-like behavior
  • 📡 Designing advanced magnetic sensors for aerospace and biomedical fields

“This gives us a deeper understanding of how spin currents interact with magnetic materials, especially in systems where the internal structure is complex or frustrated,” said lead researcher Assistant Prof. Amir Capua.

The study demonstrates how fundamental physics can enable new devices in computing and sensing—driven by the elegant choreography of tiny magnetic tornadoes.

🔗 Original article citation: Phys.org – How 'spin currents' can be used to control magnetic states in advanced materials (May 22, 2025)

📘 Journal reference: Nature Communications – DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59899-5

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