Controlling the helicity of magnetic skyrmions by electrical field in frustrated magnets

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how electric fields can precisely control the helicity of magnetic skyrmions in frustrated magnets, enabling potential applications in spintronic devices.

Contribution

It introduces a method to tune skyrmion helicity via electric polarization in centrosymmetric frustrated magnets, a novel approach compared to noncentrosymmetric systems.

Findings

Electric field can rotate skyrmion helicity continuously.

In-plane uniaxial anisotropy enhances helicity control.

Helicity can be precisely selected for skyrmions and antiskyrmions.

Abstract

The skyrmions generated by frustration in centrosymmetric structures host extra internal degrees of freedom: vorticity and helicity, resulting in distinctive properties and potential functionality, which are not shared by the skyrmions stemming from the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in noncentrosymmetric structures. The present work indicates that the magnetism-driven electric polarization carried by skyrmions provides a direct handle for tuning helicity. Especially for the in-plane magnetized skyrmions, the helicity can be continuously rotated and exactly picked by applying an external electric field for both skyrmions and antiskyrmions. The in-plane uniaxial anisotropy is beneficial to this manipulation.