Unusual, tiny vortexes spinning on the surface of certain magnets could offer a way to reduce the energy demands of computers. Controlling the vortexes is key. Scientists found that chemical substitution in a well-studied magnet acted as an effective knob in tuning the magnetic properties. Adding just a few slightly larger atoms to the magnet expanded the crystal lattice, or atomic arrangement. The expansion applied a “negative chemical” pressure on the system. The pressure changed the character of the magnetism and stabilized an exotic vortex phase called the skyrmion lattice.