Time-resolved microscopy with the pump-probe protocol is one of the most important techniques for the investigation of dynamical processes at the nanoscale, thanks to the possibility of combining nanometric resolution imaging with sub-nanosecond temporal resolutions. Amongst the ensemble of time-resolved microscopy techniques, time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy has been, since its inception in 2006, extensively utilized for the study of magneto-dynamical processes. In this review, an overview of the concept and experimental implementations of the pump-probe protocol in time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy imaging will be presented together with some examples of recent applications of the technique. Possible future developments aimed at meeting the new opportunities and challenges offered by the upgrade of synchrotrons to diffraction limited lightsources will also be discussed.

Quantifying particle interactions is central to understanding and controlling collective dynamics in particle-based devices such as those comprising skyrmion ensembles. Here we directly visualize, in real time, the nanosecond current-driven dynamics of an antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattice. By tuning the spin–orbit torque relative to local pinning, we identify two regimes: an incoherent flow, where mobile skyrmions are driven toward pinned neighbours undergoing compression followed by a recoil, and a coherent flow regime, where the lattice translates uniformly. We use an inverse analysis method based on the Thiele equation to extract an exponentially decaying antiferromagnetic skyrmion interaction potential, which is in agreement with simulation results. At higher current densities, the lattice exhibits coherent motion free from detectable Hall and inertial effects or dynamical deformation, and this enables robust ultrafast operation. These findings establish a quantitative framework for antiferromagnetic skyrmion interactions and demonstrate deterministic control of their collective dynamics, even in the incoherent flow regime, thereby providing potential applications for multiskyrmion spintronic devices. Understanding the time-resolved dynamics of antiferromagnetic skyrmion interactions remains a challenge, limiting control over their collective behaviour. Now their ultrafast dynamics is visualized in real time in thin-film multilayers.

Novel antiferromagnets with broken time reversal symmetry (TRS) have launched a new direction in spintronics research, combining the advantageous dynamical properties of conventional antiferromagnets with the controllability typically associated with ferromagnets. However, antiferromagnetic domains are notoriously challenging to image in real-space. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) offers a route to overcome this difficulty: XMCD contrast may be finite in TRS-breaking antiferromagnets with an appropriate magnetic space group. Here, we exploit this to image the octupole domains in a focused ion beam-fabricated device of the non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn$_3$Sn. Using scanning transmission x-ray microscopy, we spatially resolve the weak pre-edge XMCD contrast (of 0.2%) that is sensitive to $T_z$, achieving a contrast resolution better than 0.02%. We observe hysteretic switching of the octupole order through both the XMCD contrast and the corresponding anomalous Hall effect within the same device. These results confirm the bulk nature of this contrast, and establish XMCD-based microscopy as a powerful real space imaging method for TRS-breaking antiferromagnets, including altermagnets, enabling future studies of their dynamics, switching, and symmetry-tunable phenomena.

Scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) is a nanoscale imaging technique that can utilize several powerful contrast mechanisms for the quantitative mapping of chemical and physical materials properties. Spatial resolutions down to 7 nm at the soft x-ray energy range have been demonstrated. A limiting factor for high-resolution STXM imaging is given by the positioning precision of the sample with respect to the focusing optic, with the current state-of-the-art leading to significant overheads, especially at low pixel dwell times, and being vulnerable to unavoidable external vibration sources. In this work, we present a method called supersampled scanning microscopy that allows for a significant reduction of overhead times while simultaneously removing the effects of vibrational noise by sampling the position of the sample at a rate significantly higher than the vibration spectrum and reconstructing the sample transmission image from the recorded list of positions and detector counts. We demonstrate the performance of the technique with a set of proof-of-concept high-resolution imaging experiments.

Wavelike bosonic particles can accumulate in a single mode characterized by a particular wavelength, and such condensates are at the heart of phenomena such as superconductivity and superfluidity where usually a single complex number describes their state. If there are several flavors of excitations or particles, a vector containing several complex numbers can characterize multicomponent condensation, thus opening new possibilities for textures, dynamics, and devices. Thus far, multicomponent condensates have long represented a rewarding subfield of cold atom physics, as well as a theme for research on exotic superconductors where the constituent bosons are not atoms but electron pairs. Here we consider the case where the bosons are magnons (collective spin excitations), injected by microwaves into high-quality yttrium iron garnet (YIG) crystals. Recent advances in fabrication yield thin (128 nm) films of sufficiently high quality to display multiple magnon bands quantized along the film normal. Microwave pumping can populate these bands, providing a new two-dimensional multiband condensate optimized in a narrow range of powers and frequencies due to a four-magnon scattering resonance. We establish a phase diagram for this magnonic system, reminiscent of that for exotic superconductors, revealing both single and multiband condensation.

Epitaxial heterostructures of two-dimensional van der Waals magnets and topological insulators offer a powerful platform for probing interfacial spin interactions that govern magnetic textures in low-dimensional quantum systems, while simultaneously enabling highly efficient, atomically thin spin-orbit-torque memory and computing architectures. Despite this promise, the fundamental role of these interfacial interactions in determining magnetic domain-phase stability remain largely uncharted. Here, we perform scanning transmission X-ray microscopy to image nanoscale magnetic textures in epitaxial Fe3GeTe2 Bi2Te3 heterostructures, enabled by a thermal-release-tape dry transfer process onto X-ray transparent silicon-rich nitride membranes. Under zero-field-cooled conditions, we observe robust bubble domain phases from 75 to 165 K, and across different number of folds of the multilayer Fe3GeTe2 Bi2Te3 heterostructures. This is in stark contrast with exfoliated single-crystal Fe3GeTe2 flakes, where ZFC stripe domains are observed for flakes thicker than 20 nm and no domains have been reported for thin flakes less than 15 nm. First-principles calculations and micromagnetic simulations reveal that interfacial coupling to Bi2Te3 modifies the magnetic anisotropy and introduces interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, shifting the magnetic phase space towards bubble-domain stabilization without field-cooling. Together, our results offer a new strategy for phase-selective control of magnetic domains through interfacial engineering.

The extension of magnetic nanostructures to three dimensions (3D) has been predicted to result in phenomena such as non-reciprocal collective dynamics and ultra-fast motion of textures. However, while first indications of dynamics in 3D have been explored in microstructures, the experimental investigation of magnetization dynamics in complex-shaped 3D nanostructures remains challenging. Here, 3D nanoprinted cobalt double-helix nanostructures are investigated with time-resolved X-ray microscopy at nanoscale spatial and picosecond temporal resolution to study their magnetization dynamics. Within the helices, the dynamics of coupled domain walls are observed, and a clear resonant response identified. Micromagnetic simulations confirm that the experimentally observed resonance arises from a harmonic oscillatory mode of the coupled domain walls and predict additional higher-frequency modes, revealing a rich dynamic spectrum. By systematically varying the helix geometry in simulations, we find that the resonant modes can be engineered. This geometrical control promises an alternative to conventional tuning strategies based on tailored magnetic anisotropies, DC bias, or externally applied fields. Together, these experimental and simulated results of magnetization dynamics in complex 3D nanostructures provide a pathway for programmable functionalities, relevant for potential technologies including information processing architectures based on tunable spin texture dynamics.

Nonlinear magnetization dynamics offers a rich variety of phenomena ranging from bistability to chaos. Here, we report the ultrafast formation of a dynamic magnetic soliton in thin ferrimagnetic garnet films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, driven by the microwave magnetic field of a microstrip antenna. Using time-resolved Brillouin light scattering microscopy and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, we directly track the build-up of the large-angle precession state. The observed soliton is distinct from other nonlinear magnetic excitations in two key aspects: (i) it forms inside the linear spin-wave frequency band, and (ii) it is exceptionally large, reaching tens of microns beyond the antenna. We explain the soliton formation by the self-limiting mechanism upon a positive nonlinear frequency shift and the spatial extent of the near-field of the antenna. At large distances from the drive, the soliton collapses and emits short-wavelength spin waves via almost instantaneous spatial wavenumber conversion. Time-resolved measurements further reveal a small finite delay during soliton formation, while coherent long-range oscillations appear essentially simultaneously over distances up to 40 micrometers. These results establish microwave-driven solitons as a robust nonlinear phenomenon in thin-film garnets and suggest opportunities for fast, nonlocal manipulation of magnetic states and for applications in novel computational schemes.

Constriction-based spin Hall nano-oscillators (SHNOs) show great promise for application as highly tunable microwave sources with straightforward scalability toward large coupled networks. However, details of the magnetization dynamics within SHNOs have thus far not been addressed experimentally, due to the minute time and length scales involved. In this work, we present direct imaging of the magnetization dynamics within a single CoFeB-based SHNO using time-resolved scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (TR-STXM). Our measurements reveal that the magnon amplitude is strongest at the two constriction edges, with a pronounced asymmetry favoring one edge, and that the emitted spin waves (SWs) exhibit strongly anisotropic propagation. Micromagnetic simulations suggest that grain boundaries and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) play a key role in both effects. Furthermore, the magnetodynamics changed during measurement, indicating that the CoFeB/MgO interface may be more susceptible to x-ray-induced modifications than previously recognized, challenging its presumed radiation hardness.

Magnetic skyrmions and related topological spin textures have emerged as a central topic in condensed-matter physics, combining fundamental significance with potential for transformative applications in spintronics, magnonics, and beyond. Over the past decade, advances in material platforms, imaging techniques, theoretical modeling, and device concepts have established skyrmionics as a rapidly expanding field. At the same time, challenges remain in stabilizing, controlling, and integrating such textures into functional architectures, while novel phenomena such as antiskyrmions, higher-order skyrmions, hopfions, and antiferromagnetic textures arise. The 2026 Skyrmionics Roadmap represents a collective effort of many authors, providing a comprehensive perspective on the current state-of-the-art and the outlook for the coming years. In 33 focused sections, each co-authored by two researchers, we chart progress in theory and modeling, material systems, skyrmion dynamics, and skyrmion technologies. By offering a consolidated vision, this Roadmap aims to guide both fundamental research and application-driven efforts, accelerating the transition of skyrmionics from conceptual breakthroughs toward practical technologies.

(Fe_0.63Ni_0.3Pd_0.07)_3P is a room-temperature magnet with S_4 symmetry that hosts a rich variety of topological spin textures. Here, we report a combined resonant small-angle x-ray scattering and ptychography study of (Fe_0.63Ni_0.3Pd_0.07)_3P in vector magnetic fields over a broad temperature range. We demonstrate deterministic vector-field control of magnetic stripe domains, where in-plane fields continuously rotate their orientation via a transition from a chiral stripe to an achiral fan configuration. Furthermore, at 50 K and below, the stripe orientation becomes metastably pinned and retains its field-trained direction. While the magnitude of the wavevector is nearly isotropic within the basal plane at room temperature, a pronounced temperature evolution of anisotropic interactions emerges upon cooling. In particular, non-trivial anisotropy axes develop at 20-50 K reflecting the combined effects of magnetocrystalline anisotropy, anisotropic exchange, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), whose effective orientation is found to rotate with temperature. These results establish (Fe_0.63Ni_0.3Pd_0.07)_3P as a model system for vector-field control of chiral spin textures and reveal a previously unrecognized temperature-driven evolution of the effective DMI landscape in a noncentrosymmetric magnet.

Magnetic skyrmions stabilized by interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI) are promising candidates for applications in memory, logic, and neuromorphic computing. Beyond planar films, theoretical studies predict that curvature can influence skyrmion stability by introducing effective chiral interactions. Here, we investigate skyrmion formation on self-assembled polystyrene particles coated with Pt/Co/Ta multilayers by magnetron sputtering. Vibrating sample magnetometry reveals clear differences in the magnetic reversal behavior of the curvilinear film compared to that of the planar counterpart. Using non-invasive imaging methods such as scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and high-sensitivity in-vacuum magnetic force microscopy (MFM) with low moment magnetic tipcs, we observe a maze domain pattern for the planar films while the curvilinear film reveals three-dimensional spiraling stripe states. By employing a conventional MFM operating under ambient conditions requiring a tip with a higher magnetic moment, we demonstrate that these stripe states can rupture into metastable skyrmions located at the top of the spherical particles by applying consecutive scans. Our results demonstrate that curvilinear films offer an accessible platform for stabilizing single skyrmions using local magnetic field stimuli, opening pathways to study the interplay between interfacial and curvature-induced DMIs and enabling controlled skyrmion writing on three-dimensional magnetic architectures.

Magnetic nanoparticles have proven invaluable for biomechanical investigations due to their ability to exert localized forces. However, cellular delivery of exogenous magnetic agents often results in endosomal entrapment, thereby limiting their utility for manipulating subcellular structures. This study characterizes and exploits fully genetically controlled biomineralization of iron-oxide cores inside encapsulin nanocompartments to enable magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) and magnetic cell manipulation. The fraction of MACS-retained cells showed substantial overexpression of encapsulins and exhibited both para- and ferrimagnetic responses with magnetic moments of 10-15 A m2 per cell, comparable to standard exogenous labels for MACS. Electron microscopy revealed that MACS-retained cells contained densely packed agglomerates of approximate to 30 nm iron oxide cores consisting of ultrafine quasicrystalline ordered nuclei within an amorphous matrix of iron, oxygen, and phosphorus. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and Raman microspectroscopy confirmed that the iron-oxide species are consistent with ferric oxide (Fe2O3). In addition, the encapsulin-overexpressing MACS-retained cells can be manipulated by a magnetic needle and regrown in patterns determined by magnetic gradients. This study demonstrates that the formation of quasicrystalline iron oxide with mixed para/ferrimagnetic behavior in the cytosol of mammalian cells enables magnetic manipulation without the delivery of exogenous agents.

We investigate the effect of focused-ion-beam (FIB) irradiation on spin waves with sub-micron wavelengths in yttrium-iron-garnet films. Time-resolved scanning transmission x-ray microscopy was used to image the spin waves in irradiated regions and deduce corresponding changes in the magnetic parameters of the film. We find that the changes of Ga+irradiation can be understood by assuming a few percent change in the effective magnetizationMeffof the film due to a trade-off between changes in anisotropy and effective film thickness. Our results demonstrate that FIB irradiation can be used to locally alter the dispersion relation and the effective refractive indexneffof the film, even for submicron wavelengths. To achieve the same change innefffor shorter wavelengths, a higher dose is required, but no significant deterioration of spin wave propagation length in the irradiated regions was observed, even at the highest applied doses.

Topological magnetic textures are particle-like spin configurations stabilized by competing interactions. Their formation is commonly attributed to fluctuation-driven, first-order nucleation processes requiring activation over a topological energy barrier. Here, we demonstrate an alternative barrier- and fluctuation-free pathway for nucleating topological magnetic textures, triggered in our experiments by an excitation-induced spin reorientation transition. By combining x-ray imaging, scattering and micromagnetic simulations, we show that the system follows a deterministic cascade of symmetry-breaking phase transitions after excitation. First, the system undergoes a second-order phase transition from a homogeneous state to weak stripe domains, then a first-order transition to topologically trivial bubbles, and finally a topological switching event into skyrmionic textures. Through simulations, we generalize our findings and demonstrate that this pathway is active in a vast range of low-anisotropy materials. This previously unrecognized, spontaneous transition pathway suggests strategies for rapid, low-energy generation of topological spin textures and points to a general role of intrinsic modulational instabilities in phase transitions beyond magnetism.

Ultrashort laser pulses provide the fastest known way to switch magnetic order. Such excitation commonly creates nanometer-scale domains, even after homogeneous illumination when the position of nucleated domains is not externally defined. However, the physics of domain localization during such ultrafast phase transitions remains unresolved. Here, we use shot-resolved pump-probe resonant x-ray scattering together with a material featuring a periodically modulated magnetic anisotropy landscape to track, in real time, the laser-driven nucleation and localization of nanometer-scale spin textures. We find that nucleation and localization are two distinct processes. Nucleation occurs homogeneously via fluctuations at early times, whereas spatially periodic structures emerge only later and, under suitable conditions, localize in less than one nanosecond. Real-space simulations show that this localization is governed by strong lateral variations in spin-texture lifetimes. Our results demonstrate that ultrafast phase-transition dynamics fundamentally differ from conventional transitions, yet still can be controlled through moderate nanometer-scale tailoring of the energy landscape.

Three-dimensional (3D) nanomagnetism is a rapidly developing field within magnetic materials research, where exploiting the third dimension unlocks opportunities for innovative applications in areas such as sensing, data storage, and neuromorphic computing. Among various fabrication techniques, focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) offers high flexibility in creating complex 3D nanostructures with sub-100 nm resolution. A key challenge in the development of 3D nanomagnets is the ability to locally control the magnetic configuration, which is essential to achieve desired functionalities. In this work, the magnetization reversal mechanism of a three-dimensional nanoarchitecture fabricated using focused electron beam-induced deposition is investigated by combining direct observation via scanning transmission X-ray microscopy with finite element micromagnetic simulations. In particular, our investigation shows that the magnetization of the components of a three-dimensional Co3 Fe tetrapod can be reversed individually and sequentially. Finally, it is demonstrated that complete control and reconfigurability of the system can be achieved by tuning the direction of the applied magnetic field.

A hybrid chiral skyrmion tube is a well-known example of a 3D topological spin texture, exhibiting an intriguing chirality transition along the thickness direction. This transition progresses from left-handed to right-handed Néel-type chirality, passing through a Bloch-type intermediate state. Such an exotic spin configuration potentially exhibits distinctly different dynamics from that of the common skyrmion tube that exhibits a homogeneous chirality; yet these dynamics have not been ascertained so far. Here we reveal the distinct features of current-induced dynamics that result from the hybrid chiral skyrmion tube structure in synthetic antiferromagnetic (SyAFM) multilayers. Strikingly, the SyAFM hybrid chiral skyrmion tubes exhibit a non-reciprocal skyrmion Hall effect in the flow regime. The non-reciprocity can even be tuned by the degree of magnetic compensation in the SyAFM systems. Our theoretical modeling qualitatively corroborates that the non-reciprocity stems from the dynamic oscillation of skyrmion helicity during its current-induced motion. The findings highlight the critical role of the internal degrees of freedom of these complex skyrmion tubes for their current-induced dynamics.