From Chiral Spin Liquids to Skyrmion Lattices

H. D. ROSALES; F. A. GÓMEZ ALBARRACÍN; P. PUJOL; L. JAUBERT

Congreso; SIMAFE 2021 - International Seminar on Condensed Matter Physics and Statistical Physics; 2021

Universidad de la Frontera

(charla por H. D. Rosales) In recent years, the systems with topological excitations have been a subject of constant research in condensed matter. In this context appear magnetic skyrmions and merons, which are vortex-like magnetic textures with particle-like properties. These objects, whose typical size is of a few hundred nanometers, have become promising candidates for future spintronic applications such as racetrack memories Under certain circumstances, skyrmions can be arranged in periodic arrays or lattices whose nature admits two types of interpretation: either as an agglomeration of quasi-particles arranged in a compact geometry, or as a coherent superposition of spin helices. This double interpretation gives rise to one important issue: how does a skyrmion lattice crystallize?. In this work, we explore the occurrence and thermal stability of skyrmions in a chiral spin liquid background as a precursor to isolated skyrmions, and its subsequent crystallization. First, using large-scale Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the combined effect of antisymmetric interactions and macroscopic degeneration induces a large variety of topologically non-trivial phases including bimerons, skyrmions, skyrmion liquids and chiral spin liquids. Finally, weshow that the crystallization process of skyrmions has the characteristics presented in the KTHNY theory.