Skyrmion generation via Laguerre-Gaussian beam irradiation in frustrated magnets

TL;DR

This study explores how Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams can generate magnetic skyrmions in frustrated magnets, revealing different nucleation mechanisms in ferromagnetic and skyrmion-lattice phases through numerical simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for optical control of skyrmion creation in frustrated magnetic systems using Laguerre-Gaussian beams.

Findings

Skyrmions nucleate in ferromagnetic and skyrmion-lattice phases.

Higher temperatures and larger beam widths aid nucleation.

Different mechanisms dominate in different phases.

Abstract

Since its discovery, the study of magnetic skyrmions has been on the rise. In this paper, we discuss our investigations on the light-induced mechanisms for skyrmion generation in a centrosymmetric triangular magnetic lattice with competing $J_1$-$J_3$ interactions, and easy-axis anisotropy. We solve the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation for the lattice spin dynamics under Laguerre-Gaussian beam irradiation. Numerical results show that skyrmions are nucleated in two thermodynamic regions, each favoring different phases: the ferromagnetic phase and the skyrmion-lattice phase. In the ferromagnetic region, isolated skyrmions are generated mainly through stochastic thermal nucleation. In this regime, higher temperatures and larger beam widths are required to overcome the nucleation barrier. In contrast, in the skyrmion-lattice region, skyrmion nucleation occurs via thermal annealing, where the system relaxes toward its true ground state. These findings establish a comprehensive theoretical framework for optimizing optical control to generating light-induced skyrmionic textures in frustrated magnets.