Joint Workshop LANL/NIMS Quantum and Functional Materials and MANA International Symposium 2024

Session 9-4

Title

Skyrmions: Building Blocks for Emergent Physics and Novel Applications

Author's photo

Authors

Shizeng Lin

Affiliations

Los Alamos National Laboratory

URL

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=D0xCqk4AAAAJ&hl=en

Email

szl@lanl.gov

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are topological excitations with many novel properties promising for applications. In this talk, I will survey the intriguing physics predicted by our theory group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, some of which have been experimentally verified by other groups worldwide. First, I will discuss the thermal gradient-induced motion of skyrmions, the fractionalization of skyrmions into merons, and the formation of meron crystals in centrosymmetric magnets. Furthermore, I will extend the concept of skyrmions to non-Kramer systems, which can be realized in spin-orbit coupled f-electron materials, demonstrating novel properties not shared by their Kramer counterparts. Finally, I will present the emergence of skyrmions in twisted homobilayer transition metal dichalcogenide and their critical role in stabilizing the fractional Chern insulator.

Fig. 1. Schematic of a skyrmions moving along a natural track under an electric current.

Reference

  1. Shi-Zeng Lin, et al., Physical Review Letters 112 (18), 187203 (2014). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.187203
  2. Zidong Wang, Shi-Zeng Lin, Wanjun Jiang, et al, Nature Electronics 3 (11), 672-679 (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-020-00489-2
  3. Z Wang, Y Su, Shi-Zeng Lin, CD Batista, Physical Review Letters 124 (20), 207201 (2020). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.207201
  4. Zhidong He, Shi-Zeng Lin, Ying Zhang, et al., Nature Materials 23, 1048 (2024).
  5. H Li, U Kumar, K Sun, Shi-Zeng Lin, Physical Review Research 3 (3), L032070 (2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.L032070
  6. Hao Zhang, Shi-Zeng Lin, arXiv:2404.14404. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2404.14404
  7. Miguel Gonçalves, Shi-Zeng Lin, arXiv:2407.12198 (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2407.12198