Skyrmion and helical states in thin layers of magnets and liquid crystals

TL;DR

This paper explores the formation and stability of skyrmion and helical states in thin magnetic and liquid crystal layers, highlighting novel barrel-shaped skyrmions and their dependence on external parameters.

Contribution

It introduces new types of barrel-shaped chiral skyrmions and analyzes their equilibrium states in magnetic and liquid crystal layers considering various physical parameters.

Findings

Existence of novel barrel-shaped chiral skyrmions as isolated or bound states.

Dependence of skyrmion stability on applied fields, layer thickness, and anisotropies.

Induction of smooth skyrmionic textures in cholesteric cells with homeotropic anchoring.

Abstract

Novel types of barrel-shaped chiral skyrmions can exist as isolated topological defects or as bound states in magnetic nanolayers with intrinsic and surface/interface induced chirality. The equilibrium parameters of chiral modulations calculated as functions of applied fields, layer thicknesses, and values of surface and volume uniaxial anisotropies allow to find optimal parameters for skyrmionic states in magnetic nanolayers. Our findings also show that in cholesteric cells with homeotropic anchoring smooth skyrmionic textures can be induced as an intriguing alternative to common disclination penetrated patterns.