Dislocation-based skyrmion traps

Topologically spin configurations, such as skyrmions and bimerons, offer a compelling alternative to conventional magnetic domains, potentially enabling high-density, low-power spintronic devices. These textures, characterized by their swirling spin textures and nontrivial topological charges, can be strongly influenced by imperfections in the underlying crystal lattice. In particular, dislocations which are commonly presents in real materials, may alter the magnetic energy landscape and impact the stability or dynamics of spin textures. Motivated by this, we study how a screw dislocation influences skyrmion motion. We show that the dislocation acts as a shallow, radially symmetric trap that confines the skyrmion at a finite distance from the defect core. Using both classical and semiclassical approaches, we characterize the resulting bound states and obtain discrete quantized energy levels with half-integer orbital angular momentum. Finally, we outline a device concept in which an array of dislocations guides current-driven skyrmion motion and enables electrical detection via a topological Hall response. These results suggest that dislocations can be used as functional elements for controlling topological spin textures in spintronic devices.