Theory of skyrmion states in liquid crystals: axisymmetric cholesteric bubbles (spherulites)

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework within the Oseen-Frank model to numerically analyze axisymmetric skyrmion states in liquid crystals, revealing their fundamental stabilization mechanisms similar to those in magnetic systems.

Contribution

It provides the first numerical solutions for axisymmetric skyrmions in chiral liquid crystals, connecting their formation to mechanisms known in magnetic skyrmion systems.

Findings

Numerically exact solutions for skyrmions in liquid crystals

Identification of stabilization mechanisms similar to magnetic skyrmions

Connection between liquid crystal skyrmions and condensed matter systems

Abstract

Within the Oseen-Frank theory we derive numerically exact solutions for axisymmetric localized states in chiral liquid crystal layers with homeotropic anchoring. These solutions describe recently observed two-dimensional skyrmions in confinement-frustrated chiral nematics [P. J. Acherman et al. Phys. Rev. E 90, 012505 (2014)]. We stress that these solitonic states arise due to a fundamental stabilization mechanism responsible for the formation of skyrmions in cubic helimagnets and other noncentrosymmetric condensed-matter systems.