Dynamical and Reversible Control of Topological Spin Textures

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that high-frequency laser fields can dynamically and reversibly control magnetic interactions and topological spin textures like Skyrmions, enabling tunable magnetic properties in various materials.

Contribution

It introduces a method to manipulate magnetic interactions and Skyrmion features dynamically using laser fields, expanding control over topological spin textures.

Findings

Laser fields can reverse antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic exchange interactions.

Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions can be tuned to stabilize Skyrmions.

Laser-induced frustration can drive materials into Skyrmionic phases.

Abstract

Recent observations of topological spin textures brought spintronics one step closer to new magnetic memories. Nevertheless, the existence of Skyrmions, as well as their stabilization, require very specific intrinsic magnetic properties which are usually fixed in magnets. Here we address the possibility to dynamically control their intrinsic magnetic interactions by varying the strength of a high-frequency laser field. It is shown that drastic changes can be induced in the antiferromagnetic exchange interactions and the latter can even be reversed to become ferromagnetic, provided the direct exchange is already non-negligible in equilibrium as predicted, for example, in Si doped with C, Sn, or Pb adatoms. In the presence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, this enables us to tune features of ferromagnetic Skyrmions such as their radius, making them easier to stabilize. Alternatively, such topological spin textures can occur in frustrated triangular lattices. Then, we demonstrate that a high-frequency laser field can induce dynamical frustration in antiferromagnets, where the degree of frustration can subsequently be tuned suitably to drive the material toward a Skyrmionic phase.