Strong magneto-electric coupling in two-dimensional helical materials leads to a peculiar type of topologically protected solutions -- skyrmions. Coupling between the net ferroelectric polarization and magnetization allows control of the magnetic texture with an external electric field. In this work we propose the model of optical tweezer -- a particular configuration of an external electric field and Gaussian laser beam that can trap or release the skyrmions in a highly controlled manner. Functionality of such a tweezer is visualized by micromagnetic simulations and model analysis.
Theoretical investigation demonstrates that the composite bilayer (i.e., chiral-magnetic/ferroelectric bilayer) offers the possibility of electric-induced magnetic Skyrmions [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{94}, 014311 (2016)]. In this Article, we propose a micromagnetic model to physically manipulate magnetic Bloch Skyrmions propagating in a chiral-magnetic thin film with a polarized ferroelectric essential to drive the system through the converse magnetoelectric effect. Effects caused by different velocities of the propagation, sizes of the thin film, and strength of the magnetoelectric couplings stron…
Magnetic skyrmions are chiral nanoscale spin textures which are usually induced by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Recently, magnetic skyrmions have been observed in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic materials, such as Fe$_{3}$GeTe$_{2}$. The electric control of skyrmions is important for their potential application in low-power memory technologies. Here, we predict that DMI and magnetic skyrmions in a Fe$_{3}$GeTe$_{2}$ monolayer can be controlled by ferroelectric polarization of an adjacent 2D vdW ferroelectric In$_{2}$Se$_{3}$. Based on density functional theor…
GaV$_4$S$_8$ is a multiferroic semiconductor hosting N{é}el-type magnetic skyrmions dressed with electric polarization. At T$_s$ = 42K, the compound undergoes a structural phase transition of weakly first-order, from a non-centrosymmetric cubic phase at high temperatures to a polar rhombohedral structure at low temperatures. Below T$_s$, ferroelectric domains are formed with the electric polarization pointing along any of the four $\left< 111 \right>$ axes. Although in this material the size and the shape of the ferroelectric-ferroelastic domains may act as important limiting factors in the fo…
Polar lacunar spinels, such as GaV$_4$S$_8$ and GaV$_4$Se$_8$, were proposed to host skyrmion phases under magnetic field. In this work, we put forward, as a candidate for Néel-type skyrmion lattice, the isostructural GaMo$_4$S$_8$, here systematically studied via both first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations of model Hamiltonian. Electric polarization, driven by Jahn-Teller distortion, is predicted to arise in GaMo$_4$S$_8$, showing a comparable size but an opposite sign with respect to that evaluated in V-based counterparts and explained in terms of different electron counti…
Polar bubble domains are complex topological defects akin to magnetic skyrmions that can spontaneously form in ferroelectric thin films and superlattices. They can be deterministically written and deleted and exhibit a set of properties, such as sub-10 nm radius and room-temperature stability, that are highly attractive for dense data storage and reconfigurable nano-electronics technologies. However, possibilities of controlled motion of electric bubble skyrmions, a critical technology requirement currently remains missing. Here we present atomistic simulations that demonstrate how external el…
Magnetic skyrmions are mesmerizing spin textures with peculiar topological and dynamical properties, typically the product of competing interactions in ferromagnets, and with great technological potential [1-5]. Researchers have long wondered whether analogous electric skyrmions might exist in ferroelectrics, maybe featuring novel behaviors and possibilities for electric and mechanical control. The results thus far are modest, though: an electric equivalent of the most typical magnetic skyrmion (which would rely on a counterpart of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction) seems all but impossibl…
Magnetic skyrmions are chiral quasiparticles that show promise for future spintronic applications such as skyrmion racetrack memories and logic devices because of their topological stability, small size (typically $\sim3-500$ nm), and ultralow threshold force to drive their motion. On the other hand, the ability of light to carry and deliver orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the form of optical vortices has attracted a lot of interest. In this work, we predict a photonic OAM transfer effect, by studying the dynamics of magnetic skyrmions subject to Laguerre-Gaussian optical vortices, which man…
The controllable phase transition and nanopatterning of topological states in a ferroelectric system under external stimuli are critical for realizing the potential applications in nanoelectronic devices such as logic, memory, race-track, etc. Herein, using the phase-field simulations, we demonstrate the mechanical manipulation of polar skyrmions in ferroelectric superlattices by applying external local compressive stress through an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip. Different switching pathways are observed: under small to moderate force (<1 uN), the skyrmions coalesce to form a long stripe; …
The formation of a skyrmion crystal and its phase transition are studied taking into account the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction at the interface between a ferroelectric layer and a magnetic layer in a superlattice. The frustration is introduced in both magnetic and ferroelectric films. The films have the simple cubic lattice structure. Spins inside magnetic layers are Heisenberg spins interacting with each other via nearest-neighbor (NN) exchange $J^m$ and next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) exchange $J^{2m}$. Polarizations in the ferroelectric layers are assumed to be of Ising type with NN an…
We investigate a mechanical method to manipulate magnetic Bloch Skyrmions by applying an electric field in a composite chiral-magnetic (CM)/ferroelectric (FE) bilayer. The magnetoelectric coupling at the interface allows the electric field to stimulate magnetic ordering. Therefore it offers the possibility to generate Skyrmions [Phys. Rev. B 94, 014311 (2016)]. Here, we design a movable and localized electric field source to drive skyrmion transport along the bilayer. A traveling velocity of the electric field source must be carefully chosen to show the stability and effciency of this process.…
Magnetic skyrmions, as a whirling spin texture with axisymmetry, cannot be propelled by a uniform magnetic field. Therefore, reported skyrmion motions have been induced using other sorts of stimuli; typically, electric currents in magnetic metals as well as spin waves, thermal gradient, and field gradient have manifested their ability to drive skyrmion motion. Here, we demonstrate, through micromagnetic simulations and analytically, that magnetic skyrmions can be displaced by a uniform perpendicular magnetic field via a domain-wall (DW) mediator. For a fixed field strength, the velocity of a s…
By performing density functional calculations, we investigate the origin of the skyrmion state and ferroelectricity in Cu2OSeO3. We find that the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions between the two different kinds of Cu ions are extremely strong and induce the helical ground state and the skyrmion state in the absence and presence of magnetic field, respectively. On the basis of the general model for the spin-order induced polarization, we propose that the ferroelectric polarization of Cu2OSeO3 in the collinear ferrimagnetic state arises from an unusual mechanism, i.e., the single-spin-site con…
Magnetic Skyrmions and multiferroics are the most interesting objects in nanostructure science that have great potential in future spin-electronic technology. The study of multiferroic Skyrmions has attracted much interest in recent years. This article reports magnetic Bloch Skyrmions induced by an electric driving field in a composite bilayer (chiral-magnetic/ferroelectric bilayer) lattice. By using the spin dynamics method, we use a classical magnetic spin model and an electric pseudospin model, which are coupled by a strong magnetoelectric coupling in the dynamical simulations. Interestingl…
Department of Physics, School of Science, Westlake University（西湖大学理学院物理系）；Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study（西湖高等研究院自然科学研究院）
Antiferromagnetic skyrmion crystal (AF-SkX), a regular array of antiferromagnetic skyrmions, is a fundamental phenomenon in the field of condensed-matter physics. So far, only very few proposals have been made to realize the AF-SkX, and most based on three-dimensional (3D) materials. Herein, using first-principles calculations and Monte-Carlo simulations, we report the identification of AF-SkX in two-dimensional lattice of Janus monolayer CrSi2N2As2. Arising from the broken inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling, large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction is obtained in Janus monolayer…
Topological phases such as polar skyrmions have been a fertile playground for ferroelectric oxide superlattices, with exotic physical phenomena such as negative capacitance. Herein, using phase-field simulations, we demonstrate the local control of the skyrmion phase with electric potential applied through a top electrode. Under a relatively small electric potential, the skyrmions underneath the electrode can be erased and recovered reversibly. A topologically protected transition from the symmetric to asymmetric skyrmion bubbles is observed at the edge of the electrode. While a topological tr…
Realizing effective manipulation and explicit identification of topological spin textures are two crucial ingredients to make them as information carrier in spintronic devices with high storage density, high data handling speed and low energy consumption. Electric-field manipulation of magnetism has been achieved as a dissipationless method compared with traditional regulations. However, the magnetization is normally insensitive to the electric field since it does not break time-reversal symmetry directly, and distribution of topological magnetic quasiparticles is difficult to maintain due to …
Electrical manipulation of skyrmions attracts considerable attention for its rich physics and promising applications. To date, such a manipulation is realized mainly via spin-polarized current based on spin-transfer torque or spin-orbital torque effect. However, this scheme is energy-consuming and may produce massive Joule heating. To reduce energy dissipation and risk of heightened temperatures of skyrmion-based devices, an effective solution is to use electric field instead of current as stimulus. Here, we realize an electric-field manipulation of skyrmions in a nanostructured ferromagnetic/…
The research on topological phenomena in ferroelectric materials has revolutionized the way we understand polar order. Intriguing examples are polar skyrmions, vortex/anti-vortex structures and ferroelectric incommensurabilties, which promote emergent physical properties ranging from electric-field-controllable chirality to negative capacitance effects. Here, we study the impact of topologically protected vortices on the domain formation in improper ferroelectric ErMnO3 polycrystals, demonstrating inverted domain scaling behavior compared to classical ferroelectrics. We observe that as the gra…
Magnetic skyrmions, vortex-like swirling spin textures characterized by a quantized topological invariant, realized in chiral-lattice magnets are currently attracting intense research interest. In particular, their dynamics under external fields is an issue of vital importance both for fundamental science and for technical application. Whereas observations of magnetic skyrmions had been limited to metallic magnets so far, their realization was discovered also in a chiral-lattice insulating magnet Cu2OSeO3 in 2012. Skyrmions in the insulator turned out to exhibit multiferroic nature with spin-i…
Ferroelectric topological objects (e.g. vortices, skyrmions) provide a fertile ground for exploring emerging physical properties that could potentially be utilized in future configurable nanoelectronic devices. Here, we demonstrate quasi-one-dimensional metallic high conduction channels along two types of exotic topological defects, i.e. the topological cores of (i) a quadrant vortex domain structure and (ii) a center domain (monopole-like) structure confined in high quality BiFeO3 nanoisland array, abbreviated as the vortex core and the center core. We unveil via phase-field simulations that …
Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is experimentally investigated in Pt/Co/Pt multilayer films under strain. A strong variation (from 0.1 to 0.8 mJ/m$^2$) of the DMI constant is demonstrated at $\pm 0.1\%$ in-plane uniaxial deformation of the films. The anisotropic strain induces strong DMI anisotropy. The DMI constant perpendicular to the strain direction changes sign while the constant along the strain direction does not. Estimates are made showing that DMI manipulation with an electric field can be realized in hybrid ferroelectric/ferromagnetic systems. So, the observed eff…
