Fundamentals and applications of the skyrmion Hall effect

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are promising for future spintronic devices due to their nanoscale size, high thermal stability, and mobility at low current densities. However, their practical applications may be limited by the skyrmion Hall effect (SkHE), which causes skyrmions to deflect from the direction of the driving current. The SkHE usually results in annihilation of skyrmions due to the destructive skyrmion-boundary interactions. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of the SkHE as well as the recent advances in manipulation and suppression of the SkHE in various types of magnetic materials. Additionally, we introduce some SkHE-free topological spin textures, such as skyrmioniums and hopfions. This review covers the following aspects: origin of the SkHE and its implications on spintronics, manipulation of the SkHE by external magnetic fields and geometrical engineering, and properties of SkHE-free spin textures. The review concludes by highlighting future research directions and challenges, suggesting that magnetic skyrmions and related topological spin textures will be essential for upcoming electronic and spintronic applications.