Real-Space Observation of Strain-Induced Dynamics of Magnetic Skyrmions at Room Temperature.

Magnetic skyrmions which are swirling nanometric spin textures with non-trivial topology have been widely researched in the past decades. The ability to manipulate skyrmionic spin configurations and drive them to move via a mechanical strain is not only promising for developing low-consuming spintronics devices but also inherently attractive for the resulting exotic physics. Despite recognition of the potential, its experimental realization has remained challenging. Here, we have experimentally observed the strain-induced motion of skyrmions at room temperature in real space. We demonstrate that the motion of both isolated skyrmion and skyrmion lattices can be easily driven by a uniaxial compressive strain. Moreover, the strain rate also plays an essential role during the process.