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Title: Stability of skyrmion lattices and symmetries of quasi-two-dimensional chiral magnets

Journal Article · · Physical Review B
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States)
  2. Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan); Far Eastern Federal Univ., Vladivostok (Russia)

Recently there has been substantial interest in realizations of skyrmions, in particular in quasi-two-dimensional (2D) systems due to increased stability resulting from reduced dimensionality. A stable skyrmion, representing the smallest realizable magnetic texture, could be an ideal element for ultradense magnetic memories. Here we use the most general form of the quasi-2D free energy with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions constructed from general symmetry considerations reflecting the underlying system. We predict that the skyrmion phase is robust and it is present even when the system lacks the in-plane rotational symmetry. In fact, the lowered symmetry leads to increased stability of vortex-antivortex lattices with fourfold symmetry and in-plane spirals, in some instances even in the absence of an external magnetic field. Our results relate different hexagonal and square cell phases to the symmetries of materials used for realizations of skyrmions. This will give clear directions for experimental realizations of hexagonal and square cell phases, and will allow engineering of skyrmions with unusual properties. We also predict striking differences in gyrodynamics induced by spin currents for isolated skyrmions and for crystals where spin currents can be induced by charge carriers or by thermal magnons. As a result, we find that under certain conditions, isolated skyrmions can move along the current without a side motion which can have implications for realizations of magnetic memories.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0014189
OSTI ID:
1253328
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1239428
Journal Information:
Physical Review B, Vol. 93, Issue 6; ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 55 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (17)

Skyrmion dynamics in a frustrated ferromagnetic film and current-induced helicity locking-unlocking transition journal November 2017
Trochoidal motion and pair generation in skyrmion and antiskyrmion dynamics under spin–orbit torques journal August 2018
Dynamics of an elliptical ferromagnetic skyrmion driven by the spin–orbit torque journal January 2020
Phason thermal transport of three-helix state in insulating chiral magnets journal May 2018
Trochoidal antiskyrmion motion with microwave electric fields journal August 2019
Edge instabilities and skyrmion creation in magnetic layers journal June 2016
Tunable skyrmion-skyrmion binding on the surface of a topological insulator journal September 2019
Interface-driven topological Hall effect in SrRuO 3 -SrIrO 3 bilayer journal July 2016
Antiskyrmions stabilized at interfaces by anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions text January 2017
Skyrmions and Antiskyrmions in Quasi-Two-Dimensional Magnets journal September 2018
Antiskyrmions stabilized at interfaces by anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions journal August 2017
Interface-driven topological Hall effect in SrRuO$_3$-SrIrO$_3$ bilayer text January 2016
Skyrmion dynamics in a frustrated ferromagnetic film and current-induced helicity locking-unlocking transition text January 2017
Micromagnetics of anti-skyrmions in ultrathin films text January 2017
Trochoidal motion and pair generation in skyrmion and antiskyrmion dynamics under spin-orbit torques preprint January 2018
Skyrmions and antiskyrmions in quasi-two-dimensional magnets text January 2018
Tunable skyrmion-skyrmion binding on the surface of a topological insulator text January 2019

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