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The study of topology in solids is undergoing a renaissance following renewed interest in the properties of ferroic domain walls as well as recent discoveries regarding topological insulators and skyrmionic lattices. Each of these systems possess a property that is `protected in a symmetry sense, and is defined rigorously using a branch of mathematics known as topology. In this article we review the formal definition of topological defects as they are classified in terms of homotopy theory, and discuss the precise symmetry-breaking conditions that lead to their formation. We distinguish topological defects from geometric defects, which arise from the details of the stacking or structure of the material but are not protected by symmetry. We provide simple material examples of both topological and geometric defect types, and discuss the implications of the classification on the resulting material properties.
Recent reports on the intriguing features of vector vortex bearing beams are analyzed using geometric phases in optics. It is argued that the spin redirection phase induced circular birefringence is the origin of topological phase singularities arisi
Many physical systems can be modeled as large sets of domains glued together along boundaries - biological cells meet along cell membranes, soap bubbles meet along thin films, countries meet along geopolitical boundaries, and metallic crystals meet a
Chemical oxidation of multilayer graphene grown on silicon carbide yields films exhibiting reproducible characteristics, lateral uniformity, smoothness over large areas, and manageable chemical complexity, thereby opening opportunities to accelerate
We use resonant and non-resonant X-ray diffraction measurements in combination with first-principles electronic structure calculations and Monte Carlo simulations to study the relationship between crystal structure and multiferroic orders in the orth
The spontaneous transformations associated with symmetry-breaking phase transitions generate domain structures and defects that may be topological in nature. The formation of these defects can be described according to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, whi