Stability of a quantum skyrmion: projective measurements and the quantum Zeno effect

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability of quantum skyrmions under local measurements and demonstrates that the quantum Zeno effect can be used to stabilize these topological quasiparticles, highlighting their robustness in quantum systems.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for understanding quantum skyrmion stability and shows how the quantum Zeno effect can preserve their properties against perturbations.

Findings

Quantum skyrmions exhibit minimal property change under local measurements.

Repetitive measurements can stabilize quantum skyrmions via the quantum Zeno effect.

Quantum skyrmions are more robust than classical counterparts under certain conditions.

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are vortex-like quasiparticles characterized by long lifetime and remarkable topological properties. That makes them a promising candidate for the role of information carriers in magnetic information storage and processing devices. Although considerable progress has been made in studying skyrmions in classical systems, little is known about the quantum case: quantum skyrmions cannot be directly observed by probing the local magnetization of the system, and the notion of topological protection is elusive in the quantum realm. Here, we explore the potential robustness of quantum skyrmions in comparison to their classical counterparts. We theoretically analyze the dynamics of a quantum skyrmion subject to local projective measurements and demonstrate that the properties of the skyrmionic quantum state change very little upon external perturbations. We further show that by performing repetitive measurements on a quantum skyrmion, it can be completely stabilized through an analog of the quantum Zeno effect.