Chiral spin structure of electron gas in systems with magnetic skyrmions

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates how magnetic skyrmions induce chiral spin textures in a 2D electron gas, revealing different regimes based on skyrmion size and the emergence of complex, non-local spin structures.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the electron spin response to magnetic skyrmions, including the transition from local to non-local responses and the emergence of chiral Friedel oscillations.

Findings

Large skyrmions produce spin density matching their profile.

Small skyrmions induce non-local, oscillatory spin structures.

The response includes complex chiral Friedel oscillations.

Abstract

The theoretical study considers chiral spin texture induced in a 2D electron gas (2DEG) by magnetic skyrmions. We calculate the electron gas spin density as a linear response to the exchange interaction between the 2DEG and the magnetization field of a magnetic skyrmion. Two physically distinct regimes occur. When the size of the skyrmion is larger than the inverse Fermi wavevector $k_F^{-1}$, the spin density response follows the magnetization profile of the skyrmion. In the opposite case of a small skyrmion the emerging spin structure of 2DEG has a characteristic size of $k_F^{-1}$ and the response becomes non-local, it can be viewed as chiral Friedel oscillations. At that, the emerging spin structure of the oscillations appears to be more complex than that of the skyrmion itself.