Observation of domain wall skyrmions in chiral magnets

Domain wall skyrmions have been proposed in various systems. However, the experimental observation of domain wall skyrmions remains an ongoing challenge. Using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, we report the experimental discovery of domain wall skyrmions in chiral magnet Co-Zn-Mn(110) thin films. By applying magnetic field, the skyrmion chains arise as the localized state between the domains with the opposite in-plane components of the net magnetization and pair up with the conventional domain walls. The formation is attributed to the magnetic anisotropy and the dipolar interaction at the chiral domain walls restricted by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. In addition, our numerical simulations suggest that domain wall skyrmions widely appear in chiral magnets with large magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Our results promote further study in various fields of physics.