Magnetic storage based on racetrack memory is very promising for the design of ultra-dense, low-cost and low-power storage technology. Information can be coded in a magnetic region between two domain walls or, as predicted recently, in topological magnetic objects known as skyrmions. Here, we show the technological advantages and limitations of using Bloch and Néel skyrmions manipulated by spin current generated within the ferromagnet or via the spin-Hall effect arising from a non-magnetic heavy metal underlayer. We found that the Néel skyrmion moved by the spin-Hall effect is a very promising strategy for technological implementation of the next generation of skyrmion racetrack memories (zero field, high thermal stability, and ultra-dense storage). We employed micromagnetics reinforced with an analytical formulation of skyrmion dynamics that we developed from the Thiele equation. We identified that the excitation, at high currents, of a breathing mode of the skyrmion limits the maximal velocity of the memory.

Current-induced domain wall motion along high perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy multilayers is studied by means of full micromagnetic simulations and a one-dimensional model in the presence of in-plane fields. We consider domain wall motion driven by the spin Hall effect in the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). In the case of relatively weak DMI, the wall propagates without significant tilting of the wall plane, and the full micromagnetic results are quantitatively reproduced by a simple rigid one-dimensional model. By contrast, significant wall-plane tilting is observed in the case of strong DMI, and a one-dimensional description including the wall tilting is required to qualitatively describe the micromagnetic results. However, in this strong-DMI case, the one-dimensional model exhibits significant quantitative discrepancies from the full micromagnetic results, in particular, when high longitudinal fields are applied in the direction of the internal domain wall magnetization. It is also shown that, even under thermal fluctuations and edge roughness, the domain wall develops a net tilting angle during its current-induced motion along samples with strong DMI. V

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The methodology for adapting a standard micromagnetic code to run on graphics processing units (GPUs) and exploit the potential for parallel calculations of this platform is discussed. GPMagnet, a general purpose finite-difference GPU-based micromagnetic tool, is used as an example. Speed-up factors of two orders of magnitude can be achieved with GPMagnet with respect to a serial code. This allows for running extensive simulations, nearly inaccessible with a standard micromagnetic solver, at reasonable computational times.

Abstract. The algorithm developed by Guenther et al. [1991] to describe the organic emission of isoprene-emitting plants has been used for predicting monoterpene emission from Quercus ilex L., an evergreen oak typical of the Mediterranean basin. The dependence of monoterpene emission on photosynthetically active radiation and temperature has been verified through laboratory experiments carried out on single leaves as well as through field measurements at branch level. While the algorithm describes well monoterpene emission under stationary state conditions, it is less accurate when rapid fluctuations of light and temperature take place. Because of this, the isoprene algorithm is capable of predicting the response of Quercus ilex L. with an accuracy better than +25% only in 65% of the environmental situations experienced by the plant. Field and laboratory observations consistently indicate that temperature oscillations can be an important source for the discrepancies between predicted and observed values as they can generate bursts of emission with values twice as high as those predicted by the algorithm. Possible causes generating these effects are analyzed and critically discussed. In spite of the observed limitations, the isoprene algorithm can successfully describe the biogenic emission from Quercus ilex L., and its use is advantageous as it greatly simplifies regional and global emission models, especially if the light dependence of monoterpene emission is proven to be a widespread phenomenon.