Spin texture dynamics in complex structures

This project is to understand the behaviour of spin textures such as skyrmions and domain walls in complex structures such a synthetic antiferromagnets and multilayers including effects such as pinning and inhomogeneity. Magnetic texture dynamics may be applied in future memory and processing devices which have very low power dissipation. From a fundamental perspective there is still much which is not understood about how imperfections affect spin textures on an atomic scale.
We will use a combination of micromagnetic and atomistic modelling to study spin texture dynamics on a variety of length scales and including effects such as thermal fluctuations. We aim to learn how the free energy landscape is altered by imperfections in the material and how these pin or deform magnetic textures.
Working within the condensed matter group will allow a close overlap with experiments currently being performed. One of the key benefits is to help experimentalists understand their results by simulating more realistic (less idealised) systems which include roughness and pinning.