Moving skyrmions in Antiferromagnets by Sublattice Displacements

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding how antiferromagnetic skyrmions can be manipulated via sublattice displacements, revealing their effective mass and dynamics influenced by currents and dissipation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theory linking antiferromagnetic skyrmion motion to sublattice displacements, supported by micromagnetic simulations.

Findings

Antiferromagnetic skyrmions have an effective mass due to sublattice coupling.

Skyrmion dynamics can be controlled by relative sublattice displacements.

The theory is validated through micromagnetic simulations.

Abstract

The texture in antiferromagnets hosting a topologically protected skyrmion can be viewed as two effectively coupled ferromagnetic skyrmions. Assuming rigid magnetic configurations, we show that this coupling results in an effective mass of the antiferromagnetic skyrmion and that its dynamics can be viewed as due to a relative displacement of the two sublattice ferromagnetic skyrmions. The theory holds for different antiferromagnetic systems and includes effects from dissipation and external forces caused by electric currents. We verify our analytical results by micromagnetic simulations.