Abstract
Magnetic skyrmions, vortex-like swirling spin textures characterized by a quantized topological invariant, realized in chiral-lattice magnets are currently attracting intense research interest. In particular, their dynamics under external fields is an issue of vital importance both for fundamental science and for technical application. Whereas observations of magnetic skyrmions has been limited to metallic magnets so far, their realization was also discovered in a chiral-lattice insulating magnet Cu2OSeO3 in 2012. Skyrmions in the insulator turned out to exhibit multiferroic nature with spin-induced ferroelectricity. Strong magnetoelectric coupling between noncollinear skyrmion spins and electric polarizations mediated by relativistic spin-orbit interaction enables us to drive motion and oscillation of magnetic skyrmions by application of electric fields instead of injection of electric currents. Insulating materials also provide an environment suitable for detection of pure spin dynamics through spectroscopic measurements owing to the absence of appreciable charge excitations. In this article, we review recent theoretical and experimental studies on multiferroic properties and dynamical magnetoelectric phenomena of magnetic skyrmions in insulators. We argue that multiferroic skyrmions show unique coupled oscillation modes of magnetizations and polarizations, so-called electromagnon excitations, which are both magnetically and electrically active, and interference between the electric and magnetic activation processes leads to peculiar magnetoelectric effects in a microwave frequency regime.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 503001 |
| Journal | Journal of Physics Condensed Matter |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 50 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 Dec 1 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- magnetoelectric coupling
- multiferroics
- skyrmion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics
Cite this
Dynamical magnetoelectric phenomena of multiferroic skyrmions. / Mochizuki, Masahito; Seki, Shinichiro.
In: Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, Vol. 27, No. 50, 503001, 01.12.2015.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamical magnetoelectric phenomena of multiferroic skyrmions
AU - Mochizuki, Masahito
AU - Seki, Shinichiro
PY - 2015/12/1
Y1 - 2015/12/1
N2 - Magnetic skyrmions, vortex-like swirling spin textures characterized by a quantized topological invariant, realized in chiral-lattice magnets are currently attracting intense research interest. In particular, their dynamics under external fields is an issue of vital importance both for fundamental science and for technical application. Whereas observations of magnetic skyrmions has been limited to metallic magnets so far, their realization was also discovered in a chiral-lattice insulating magnet Cu2OSeO3 in 2012. Skyrmions in the insulator turned out to exhibit multiferroic nature with spin-induced ferroelectricity. Strong magnetoelectric coupling between noncollinear skyrmion spins and electric polarizations mediated by relativistic spin-orbit interaction enables us to drive motion and oscillation of magnetic skyrmions by application of electric fields instead of injection of electric currents. Insulating materials also provide an environment suitable for detection of pure spin dynamics through spectroscopic measurements owing to the absence of appreciable charge excitations. In this article, we review recent theoretical and experimental studies on multiferroic properties and dynamical magnetoelectric phenomena of magnetic skyrmions in insulators. We argue that multiferroic skyrmions show unique coupled oscillation modes of magnetizations and polarizations, so-called electromagnon excitations, which are both magnetically and electrically active, and interference between the electric and magnetic activation processes leads to peculiar magnetoelectric effects in a microwave frequency regime.
AB - Magnetic skyrmions, vortex-like swirling spin textures characterized by a quantized topological invariant, realized in chiral-lattice magnets are currently attracting intense research interest. In particular, their dynamics under external fields is an issue of vital importance both for fundamental science and for technical application. Whereas observations of magnetic skyrmions has been limited to metallic magnets so far, their realization was also discovered in a chiral-lattice insulating magnet Cu2OSeO3 in 2012. Skyrmions in the insulator turned out to exhibit multiferroic nature with spin-induced ferroelectricity. Strong magnetoelectric coupling between noncollinear skyrmion spins and electric polarizations mediated by relativistic spin-orbit interaction enables us to drive motion and oscillation of magnetic skyrmions by application of electric fields instead of injection of electric currents. Insulating materials also provide an environment suitable for detection of pure spin dynamics through spectroscopic measurements owing to the absence of appreciable charge excitations. In this article, we review recent theoretical and experimental studies on multiferroic properties and dynamical magnetoelectric phenomena of magnetic skyrmions in insulators. We argue that multiferroic skyrmions show unique coupled oscillation modes of magnetizations and polarizations, so-called electromagnon excitations, which are both magnetically and electrically active, and interference between the electric and magnetic activation processes leads to peculiar magnetoelectric effects in a microwave frequency regime.
KW - magnetoelectric coupling
KW - multiferroics
KW - skyrmion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84948800275&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84948800275&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0953-8984/27/50/503001
DO - 10.1088/0953-8984/27/50/503001
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84948800275
VL - 27
JO - Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
JF - Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
SN - 0953-8984
IS - 50
M1 - 503001
ER -