Twisted 2D magnet creates skyrmions for ultra dense data storage

Science News from research organizations Twisted 2D magnet creates skyrmions for ultra dense data storage A subtle atomic twist has unlocked ultra-tiny magnetic swirls that could transform the future of data storage. Date: February 13, 2026 Source: Universitaet Stuttgart Summary: As data keeps exploding worldwide, scientists are racing to pack more information into smaller and smaller spaces — and a team at the University of Stuttgart may have just unlocked a powerful new trick. By slightly twisting ultra-thin layers of a magnetic material called chromium iodide, researchers created an entirely new magnetic state that hosts tiny, stable structures known as skyrmions — some of the smallest and toughest information carriers ever observed. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Nitrogen doping by ion implantation: This is how commercially available diamonds are turned into quantum sensors. They enable the discovery of new forms of magnetism. Credit: University of Stuttgart / Ludmilla Parsyak As the world generates more data than ever, scientists are searching for ways to store that information in smaller and more efficient formats. "As data volumes continue to grow, future magnetic storage media must be able to store information reliably at ever higher densities," says Professor Jörg Wrachtrup, Head of the Center for Applied Quantum Technologies (ZAQuant) at the University of Stuttgart, whose team led the study. "Our results are therefore directly relevant for next-generation data storage technologies. At the same time, they are of fundamental importance, as they provide new insights into magnetic interactions in atomically thin materials." The international research group identified a previously unknown magnetic state in a material made of four atomic layers of chromium iodide. According to Dr. Ruoming Peng, a postdoctoral researcher at the 3rd Physics Institute of the University of Stuttgart, the team was able to fine tune the magnetism by adjusting how electrons interact within each layer. Peng conducted the experiments at ZAQuant alongside doctoral researcher King Cho Wong. "We can selectively control this magnetism by tuning the interactions between electrons in the individual layers," Peng explains. "What is particularly remarkable is that the observed magnetic properties are robust against environmental perturbations." Twisted Two Dimensional Materials Create Skyrmions Chromium iodide belongs to a category known as two-dimensional (2D) materials, which consist of only a few atomic layers arranged in a crystal structure. These ultra thin materials are known to behave very differently from their thicker, three-dimensional versions. In this case, the researchers slightly rotated two stacked bilayers of chromium iodide relative to one another. That small twist produced an entirely new magnetic configuration. "In contrast, an untwisted bilayer does not exhibit a net external magnetic field, as shown in earlier studies," says Peng. The rotation leads to the formation of skyrmions, which are nanoscale magnetic structures that are topologically protected and exceptionally stable. They rank among the smallest and most durable carriers of information known in magnetic systems.

The team successfully generated and directly observed skyrmions in a twisted two-dimensional magnetic material for the first time.

Quantum Sensing Detects Extremely Weak Magnetism Observing this new magnetic state was not straightforward because the signals involved are extremely faint. To measure them, the scientists relied on an advanced microscope that uses quantum sensing. This approach takes advantage of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, a technique that has been developed and refined at the Center for Applied Quantum Technologies for more than twenty years.

Findings Challenge Existing Magnetic Theory The discovery does more than suggest new possibilities for high density data storage. It also deepens scientific understanding of how electrons behave collectively in atomically thin magnetic systems. "Our experimental results indicate that existing theoretical models need to be refined to fully capture the observed phenomena," says Wrachtrup. The project brought together collaborators from the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and Canada in addition to the University of Stuttgart. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh led the theoretical modeling and numerical simulations. About the Center for Applied Quantum Technologies Research and teaching at the Center for Applied Quantum Technologies (ZAQuant) focus on solid-state quantum technology, with applications ranging from nanoscale quantum sensing to quantum networks. The institute's infrastructure is a world-wide unique combination of precision as well as quantum optics laboratories and state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities. RELATED TOPICS Matter & Energy Physics Nanotechnology Materials Science Telecommunications Computers & Math Computer Modeling Spintronics Research Hacking Mathematical Modeling RELATED TERMS Robot Nanoparticle Solar cell Scientific method Quantum computer Solar power Introduction to quantum mechanics Scientific visualization Story Source: Materials provided by Universitaet Stuttgart. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Journal Reference: King Cho Wong, Ruoming Peng, Eric Anderson, Jackson Ross, Bowen Yang, Meixin Cheng, Sreehari Jayaram, Malik Lenger, Xuankai Zhou, Yan Tung Kong, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Michael A. McGuire, Rainer Stöhr, Adam W. Tsen, Elton J. G. Santos, Xiaodong Xu, Jörg Wrachtrup. Super-moiré spin textures in twisted two-dimensional antiferromagnets. Nature Nanotechnology, 2026; DOI: 10.1038/s41565-025-02103-y Cite This Page: MLA APA Chicago Universitaet Stuttgart. "Twisted 2D magnet creates skyrmions for ultra dense data storage." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 February 2026. . Universitaet Stuttgart. (2026, February 13). Twisted 2D magnet creates skyrmions for ultra dense data storage. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 13, 2026 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212234158.htm Universitaet Stuttgart. "Twisted 2D magnet creates skyrmions for ultra dense data storage." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212234158.htm (accessed February 13, 2026). Explore More from ScienceDaily RELATED STORIES Magnetic Whirl Simulation in Real Time Jan. 30, 2025 — Skyrmions are nanometer- to micrometer-sized magnetic whirls that exhibit particle-like properties and can be moved efficiently by electrical currents. These properties make skyrmions an excellent ... Skyrmions Move at Record Speeds: A Step Towards the Computing of the Future Apr. 18, 2024 — Scientists have discovered that the magnetic nanobubbles known as skyrmions can be moved by electrical currents, attaining record speeds up to 900 m/s. Anticipated as future bits in computer memory, ... Spintronics: A New Path to Room Temperature Swirling Spin Textures Apr. 17, 2024 — In some materials, spins form complex magnetic structures within the nanometer and micrometer scale in which the magnetization direction twists and curls along specific directions. Examples of such ... Skyrmion Research: Braids of Nanovortices Discovered Oct. 6, 2021 — A team of scientists has discovered a new physical phenomenon: complex braided structures made of tiny magnetic vortices known as skyrmions. Skyrmions were first detected experimentally a little over ...

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