Periodic transitions of topological charge in skyrmions confined within FeGe and Co/Pt nanodisks

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how oscillating magnetic fields can induce periodic topological charge transitions in skyrmions within FeGe and Co/Pt nanodisks, revealing different dynamic mechanisms for charge control.

Contribution

It introduces a method to dynamically invert skyrmion topological charge using oscillating magnetic fields in two distinct material systems.

Findings

In FeGe, skyrmions undergo a $Q=1 ightarrow 0 ightarrow -1$ transition.

In Co/Pt, skyrmions are annihilated and re-nucleated, changing topological charge.

Distinct mechanisms for topological charge modulation are identified.

Abstract

The dynamic control of skyrmion properties such as polarity, vorticity, and topological charge is crucial for their implementation in spintronic applications. In this work, we investigate the periodic inversion of the topological charge in two distinct systems: FeGe, a bulk chiral magnet, and Co/Pt, an interfacial system with strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. By applying an oscillating magnetic field perpendicular to the film plane, we induce cyclic transitions in the spin texture. In FeGe, the skyrmion evolves through a $Q=1 \rightarrow 0 \rightarrow -1$ sequence via an intermediate skyrmionium state. In Co/Pt, the process involves skyrmion annihilation and re-nucleation, resulting in alternating topological charges. These results reveal distinct dynamic mechanisms for topological charge modulation, offering potential pathways for the energy-efficient control of skyrmion-based devices.