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Title: Ginzburg-Landau theory for skyrmions in inversion-symmetric magnets with competing interactions

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions have attracted considerable attention recently for their huge potential in spintronic applications. Generally skyrmions are big compared to the atomic lattice constant, which allows for the Ginzburg-Landau type description in the continuum limit. This description successfully captures the main experimental observations on skyrmions in B20 compound without inversion symmetry. Skyrmions can also exist in inversion-symmetric magnets with competing interactions. Here, we derive a general Ginzburg-Landau theory for skyrmions in these magnets valid in the long-wavelength limit. We study the unusual static and dynamical properties of skyrmions based on the derived Ginzburg-Landau theory. We show that an easy axis spin anisotropy is sufficient to stabilize a skyrmion lattice. Interestingly, the skyrmion in inversion-symmetric magnets has a new internal degree of freedom associated with the rotation of helicity, i.e., the “spin” of the skyrmion as a particle, in addition to the usual translational motion of skyrmions (orbital motion). The orbital and spin degree of freedoms of an individual skyrmion can couple to each other, and give rise to unusual behavior that is absent for the skyrmions stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Finally, the derived Ginzburg-Landau theory provides a convenient and general framework to discuss skyrmion physics and will facilitate themore » search for skyrmions in inversion-symmetric magnets.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1249058
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1239458
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-15-29577
Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950; PRBMDO
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review B
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 93; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Lin, Shi-Zeng, and Hayami, Satoru. Ginzburg-Landau theory for skyrmions in inversion-symmetric magnets with competing interactions. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.93.064430.
Lin, Shi-Zeng, & Hayami, Satoru. Ginzburg-Landau theory for skyrmions in inversion-symmetric magnets with competing interactions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.064430
Lin, Shi-Zeng, and Hayami, Satoru. Mon . "Ginzburg-Landau theory for skyrmions in inversion-symmetric magnets with competing interactions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.064430. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1249058.
@article{osti_1249058,
title = {Ginzburg-Landau theory for skyrmions in inversion-symmetric magnets with competing interactions},
author = {Lin, Shi-Zeng and Hayami, Satoru},
abstractNote = {Magnetic skyrmions have attracted considerable attention recently for their huge potential in spintronic applications. Generally skyrmions are big compared to the atomic lattice constant, which allows for the Ginzburg-Landau type description in the continuum limit. This description successfully captures the main experimental observations on skyrmions in B20 compound without inversion symmetry. Skyrmions can also exist in inversion-symmetric magnets with competing interactions. Here, we derive a general Ginzburg-Landau theory for skyrmions in these magnets valid in the long-wavelength limit. We study the unusual static and dynamical properties of skyrmions based on the derived Ginzburg-Landau theory. We show that an easy axis spin anisotropy is sufficient to stabilize a skyrmion lattice. Interestingly, the skyrmion in inversion-symmetric magnets has a new internal degree of freedom associated with the rotation of helicity, i.e., the “spin” of the skyrmion as a particle, in addition to the usual translational motion of skyrmions (orbital motion). The orbital and spin degree of freedoms of an individual skyrmion can couple to each other, and give rise to unusual behavior that is absent for the skyrmions stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Finally, the derived Ginzburg-Landau theory provides a convenient and general framework to discuss skyrmion physics and will facilitate the search for skyrmions in inversion-symmetric magnets.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.93.064430},
journal = {Physical Review B},
number = 6,
volume = 93,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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