A magnetic skyrmion could be endowed with various dynamic magnetic configurations and behaviors. By artificially generating a gradient magnetic field in a confined nanochannel, we have shown the magnetic dynamics of an isolated skyrmion, achieving the coexistence of moving and breathing modes. Such a phenomenon has been proven to be not only correlated to the gradient strength of a magnetic field, but also depends on the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. By increasing the magnetic field gradient up to 0.1 mT nm −1 , the skyrmion can effectively overcome the skyrmion Hall effect, and meanwhile generate a breathing mode during the motion process under MFG=1.0 mT nm −1 and DMI=2.8 mJ m −3 . The present study could provide an alternative approach to regulate the skyrmion at micro/nanoscales by using a gradient magnetic field.

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The misfit dislocations at α-Fe O /α-Al O heterostructure interfaces were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), geometric phase analysis (GPA) and dislocation density tensor analysis. When imaged along the [112¯0] direction, the misfit dislocation core is a mixed-type, which can be characterised by one extra (11¯02) plane and one extra (1¯104) plane of α-Al O . Dislocation density tensor analysis gave a very high accuracy in determining the corresponding Burgers vectors of two extra half-planes. By comparing the measured Burgers vectors with theoretical ones, we are able to determine local rotations in the dislocation core region: the (11¯02) plane is rotated clockwise 6.25° and the (1¯104) plane is rotated anticlockwise 4.81°. Such a local rotation is favourable from the viewpoint of both energy and function to relax lattice misfit.