Nematic Skyrmions in Odd-Parity Superconductors.

Phys Rev Lett

Department of Physics, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE-10691 Sweden.

Published: October 2017

We study topological excitations in two-component nematic superconductors, with a particular focus on Cu_{x}Bi_{2}Se_{3} as a candidate material. We find that the lowest-energy topological excitations are coreless vortices: a bound state of two spatially separated half-quantum vortices. These objects are nematic Skyrmions, since they are characterized by an additional topological charge. The inter-Skyrmion forces are dipolar in this model, i.e., attractive for certain relative orientations of the Skyrmions, hence forming multi-Skyrmion bound states.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.167001DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

nematic skyrmions
8
topological excitations
8
skyrmions odd-parity
4
odd-parity superconductors
4
superconductors study
4
study topological
4
excitations two-component
4
two-component nematic
4
nematic superconductors
4
superconductors focus
4

Similar Publications

Twisted magnetic van der Waals materials provide a flexible platform to engineer unconventional magnetism. Here we demonstrate the emergence of electrically tunable topological moiré magnetism in twisted bilayers of the spin-spiral multiferroic NiI. We establish a rich phase diagram featuring uniform spiral phases, a variety of -skyrmion lattices, and nematic spin textures ordered at the moiré scale.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This review article mainly delves into the comprehensive development, thermal stabilization, characteristics, and applications of Blue Phase III (BPIII) derived from non-calamitic, mainly T-shaped and bent-core liquid crystals (BCLC). The discussion begins with discovering and characterizing various liquid crystal (LC) phases of BCLCs, emphasizing the significance of the nematic (N) phase in three and four-ring BCLCs. Following this, the focus shifts to the stabilization, properties, and potential applications of BPIII, particularly those derived from non-conventional (T-shaped and BCLCs) liquid crystals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Achiral hard bananas assemble double-twist skyrmions and blue phases.

Nat Commun

August 2024

Soft Condensed Matter & Biophysics, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 1, 3584 CC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Skyrmions are topologically protected, vortex-like structures found in various condensed-matter systems including helical ferromagnets and liquid crystals, typically arising from chiral interactions. Using extensive particle-based simulations, we demonstrate that non-chiral hard banana-shaped particles, governed solely by excluded-volume interactions, spontaneously stabilize skyrmion structures through the bend-flexoelectric effect. Under thin confinement, we observe the formation of quasi-2D layers of isolated skyrmions or dense skyrmion lattices.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dynamics and Topology of Symmetry Breaking with Skyrmions.

Phys Rev Lett

April 2024

Condensed Matter Department, J. Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

We observe that pretransitional order parameter fluctuations of a skyrmion-forming chiral nematic liquid crystal are slowed down for 4 orders of magnitude, if confined to ≲100  nm thin layers. Fluctuating fragments of half-skyrmions are observed in a narrow temperature interval and are explained by thermally activated hopping between the various energy states. Skyrmion fluctuations are accompanied by imbalanced topological charge: positive charges appear at higher temperatures and dominate in the fluctuating region until skyrmions fully condense and negative charges appear at lower temperatures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Temperature reconfigurable skyrmionic solitons in cholesteric liquid crystals.

Soft Matter

December 2023

Department of Physics, School of Natural Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.

In this work, a reversible transformation between torons and cholesteric fingers is realized by continuously changing the pitch through temperature variation of the chiral nematic liquid crystal twist inversion system. By decreasing the pitch, the torons act as seeds from which cholesteric fingers gradually grow. By increasing the pitch, the cholesteric fingers gradually shorten and transform back to the initial state.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!