Dynamical control of topology in ferroelectric skyrmions via twisted light

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gao, Lingyuan, Prokhorenko, Sergei, Nahas, Yousra, Bellaiche, Laurent
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Gao, Lingyuan
Prokhorenko, Sergei
Nahas, Yousra
Bellaiche, Laurent
author_facet Gao, Lingyuan
Prokhorenko, Sergei
Nahas, Yousra
Bellaiche, Laurent
contents Twisted light carries a non-zero orbital angular momentum, that can be transferred from light to electrons and particles ranging from nanometers to micrometers. Up to now, the interplay between twisted light with dipolar systems has scarcely been explored, though the latter bear abundant forms of topologies such as skyrmions and embrace strong light-matter coupling. Here, using first-principles-based simulations, we show that twisted light can excite and drive dynamical polar skyrmions and transfer its nonzero winding number to ferroelectric ultrathin films. The skyrmion is successively created and annihilated alternately at the two interfaces, and experiences a periodic transition from a markedly "Bloch" to "Neel" character, accompanied with the emergence of a "Bloch point" topological defect with vanishing polarization. The dynamical evolution of skyrmions is connected to a constant jump of topological number between "0" and "1" over time. These intriguing phenomena are found to have an electrostatic origin. Our study thus demonstrates that, and explains why, this unique light-matter interaction can be very powerful in creating and manipulating topological solitons in functional materials.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2302_01402
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Dynamical control of topology in ferroelectric skyrmions via twisted light
Gao, Lingyuan
Prokhorenko, Sergei
Nahas, Yousra
Bellaiche, Laurent
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
Twisted light carries a non-zero orbital angular momentum, that can be transferred from light to electrons and particles ranging from nanometers to micrometers. Up to now, the interplay between twisted light with dipolar systems has scarcely been explored, though the latter bear abundant forms of topologies such as skyrmions and embrace strong light-matter coupling. Here, using first-principles-based simulations, we show that twisted light can excite and drive dynamical polar skyrmions and transfer its nonzero winding number to ferroelectric ultrathin films. The skyrmion is successively created and annihilated alternately at the two interfaces, and experiences a periodic transition from a markedly "Bloch" to "Neel" character, accompanied with the emergence of a "Bloch point" topological defect with vanishing polarization. The dynamical evolution of skyrmions is connected to a constant jump of topological number between "0" and "1" over time. These intriguing phenomena are found to have an electrostatic origin. Our study thus demonstrates that, and explains why, this unique light-matter interaction can be very powerful in creating and manipulating topological solitons in functional materials.
title Dynamical control of topology in ferroelectric skyrmions via twisted light
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.01402