Simulating magnetic antiskyrmions on the lattice

TL;DR

This paper uses Monte Carlo simulations to explore the conditions under which antiskyrmions, skyrmions, and their types can be stabilized in magnetic lattice systems, revealing phase diagrams and dynamic processes.

Contribution

It demonstrates that specific combinations of exchange and DM interactions can stabilize all three types of skyrmionic structures, including antiskyrmions, in a three-dimensional lattice.

Findings

Stable antiskyrmion lattice phase exists over a wide temperature range.

Creation and annihilation processes of antiskyrmion tubes are characterized.

DM interaction strength influences the size of antiskyrmions.

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin structures that naturally emerge in magnetic materials. While a vast amount of effort has gone into the study of their properties, their counterpart of opposite topological charge, the antiskyrmion, has not received as much attention. We aim to close this gap by deploying Monte Carlo simulations of spin-lattice systems in order to investigate which interactions support antiskyrmions, as well as skyrmions of Bloch and N\'eel type. We find that a suitable combination of ferromagnetic exchange and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions is able to stabilize all three types. Considering a three-dimensional spin lattice model, we provide a finite-temperature phase diagram featuring a stable antiskyrmion lattice phase for a large range of temperatures. In addition, we also shed light on the creation and annihilation processes of these antiskyrmion tubes and study the effects of the DM interaction strength on their typical size.