No Arabic abstract
We study the quantum propagation of a Skyrmion in chiral magnetic insulators by generalizing the micromagnetic equations of motion to a finite-temperature path integral formalism, using field theoretic tools. Promoting the center of the Skyrmion to a dynamic quantity, the fluctuations around the Skyrmionic configuration give rise to a time-dependent damping of the Skyrmion motion. From the frequency dependence of the damping kernel, we are able to identify the Skyrmion mass, thus providing a microscopic description of the kinematic properties of Skyrmions. When defects are present or a magnetic trap is applied, the Skyrmion mass acquires a finite value proportional to the effective spin, even at vanishingly small temperature. We demonstrate that a Skyrmion in a confined geometry provided by a magnetic trap behaves as a massive particle owing to its quasi-one-dimensional confinement. An additional quantum mass term is predicted, independent of the effective spin, with an explicit temperature dependence which remains finite even at zero temperature.
In this work, we study the microscopic dynamics of distorted skyrmions in strained chiral magnets [K. Shibata et al., Nat. Nanotech. 10, 589 (2015)] under gradient magnetic field or electric current by Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations of the anisotropic spin model. It is observed that the dynamical responses are also anisotropic, and the velocities of the distorted skyrmions are periodically dependent on the directions of the external stimuli. Furthermore, in addition to the uniform motion, our work also demonstrates anti-phase harmonic vibrations of the two skyrmions in nanostripes, and the frequencies are mainly determined by the exchange anisotropy. The simulated results are well explained by Thiele theory, which may provide useful information in understanding the dynamics of the distorted skyrmions in strained chiral magnets.
In chiral magnets a magnetic helix forms where the magnetization winds around a propagation vector $mathbf{q}$. We show theoretically that a magnetic field $mathbf{B}_{perp}(t) perp mathbf{q}$, which is spatially homogeneous but oscillating in time, induces a net rotation of the texture around $mathbf{q}$. This rotation is reminiscent of the motion of an Archimedean screw and is equivalent to a translation with velocity $v_{text{screw}}$ parallel to $mathbf{q}$. Due to the coupling to a Goldstone mode, this non-linear effect arises for arbitrarily weak $mathbf{B}_{perp}(t) $ with $v_{text{screw}} propto |mathbf{B}_{perp}|^2$ as long as pinning by disorder is absent. The effect is resonantly enhanced when internal modes of the helix are excited and the sign of $v_{text{screw}}$ can be controlled either by changing the frequency or the polarization of $mathbf{B}_{perp}(t)$. The Archimedean screw can be used to transport spin and charge and thus the screwing motion is predicted to induce a voltage parallel to $mathbf{q}$. Using a combination of numerics and Floquet spin wave theory, we show that the helix becomes unstable upon increasing $mathbf{B}_{perp}$ forming a `time quasicrystal which oscillates in space and time for moderately strong drive.
Propagation character of spin wave was investigated for chiral magnets FeGe and Co-Zn-Mn alloys, which can host magnetic skyrmions near room temperature. On the basis of the frequency shift between counter-propagating spin waves, the magnitude and sign of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction were directly evaluated. The obtained magnetic parameters quantitatively account for the size and helicity of skyrmions as well as their materials variation, proving that the DM interaction plays a decisive role in the skyrmion formation in this class of room-temperature chiral magnets. The propagating spin-wave spectroscopy can thus be an efficient tool to study DM interaction in bulk single-phase compounds. Our results also demonstrate a function of spin-wave diode based on chiral crystal structures at room temperature.
We report measurements of the interaction-induced quantum Hall effect in a spin-polarized AlAs two-dimensional electron system where the electrons occupy two in-plane conduction band valleys. Via the application of in-plane strain, we tune the energies of these valleys and measure the energy gap of the quantum Hall state at filling factor $ u$ = 1. The gap has a finite value even at zero strain and, with strain, rises much faster than expected from a single-particle picture, suggesting that the lowest energy charged excitations at $ u=1$ are valley Skyrmions.
The competition between the ferromagnetic exchange interaction and anti-symmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction can stabilize a helical phase or support the formation of skyrmions. In thin films of chiral magnets, the current density can be large enough to unpin the helical phase and reveal its nontrivial dynamics. We theoretically study the dynamics of the helical phase under spin-transfer torques that reveal distinct orientation processes, driven by topological defects in the bulk or induced by edges, limited by instabilities at higher currents. Our experiments confirm the possibility of on-demand switching the helical orientation by current pulses. This helical orientation might serve as a novel order parameter in future spintronics applications.