Magnetic skyrmions are particle-like spin textures of nanometer-size dimensions that exhibit long lifetimes due to topological protection. Since the first discovery of the skyrmion lattice phase in bulk MnSi about a decade ago, these topological magnetic textures have been observed in a large number of chiral magnets as well as magnetic multilayers. The research field of skyrmions currently extends in numerous directions ranging from fundamental aspects related to the field of topology to prospective technological applications in spintronic devices for information storage and manipulation. It is also realized that the field of skyrmions shares numerous common points with the field of magnetic and polar materials hosting topological band structures, thus highlighting the universality of topological concepts. The latter demands for new skyrmion materials and systems posing important challenges to the field of materials science.

The aim of our symposium is to bring together specialists working on a broad range of problems in the emerging field of skyrmionics and adjacent fields. The symposium will cover the fundamental aspects such as the topology of skyrmions and topological electronic phases in magnetic and polar materials, physical mechanisms underlying the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and will proceed towards applied and practical problems. Those include the growth of known bulk skyrmion-hosting materials on substrates and the control of interfaces in magnetic multilayers to optimize skyrmion formation as well as the prediction and discovery of novel skyrmion materials. Experimental observation and characterization of skyrmion phases, magnetic textures of individual skyrmions, their dynamics and magnetochiral effects using a broad range of experimental techniques (magnetometry, magnetic force microscopy, Lorentz microscopy, neutron scattering, optical and microwave spectroscopy, etc.) will receive extended coverage. On the most practical side the symposium will address novel concepts of spintronic devices. The symposium will thus bridge the opposites along the three distinct directions: fundamental and applied materials research, theory and experiment, young researchers and established leaders in the field.

crystal growth Hall effect Magnetic magnetoresistance (transport) neutron scattering scanning probe microscopy (SPM) spintronic transmission electron microscopy (TEM) x-ray diffraction (XRD)