ABSTRACT
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The magnetic interactions in a magnet, combined with the external magnetic field, result in different types of magnetic domains. Among them, the magnetic skyrmion is the newly found magnetic configuration that is promising in various applications. Knowing why the magnetic skyrmions occur and how they can be manipulated is critical to the applications, which requires state-of-the-art observation techniques. This chapter tries first to establish the connections between different types of magnetic domains by referring to their formation backgrounds and spatial configurations, and then introduces the observation techniques that have been used to study them. More attention is paid to the Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (TEM) due to its ability to image magnetic skyrmions in real space. The theoretical origin of the phase stability of magnetic skyrmions is then introduced. Finally, the experimental observations of magnetic skyrmions using both neutron scattering and Lorentz TEM are reviewed.
