Composite Topological Excitations in Ferromagnet-Superconductor Heterostructures

We investigate the formation of a new type of composite topological excitation-the Skyrmion-vortex pair (SVP)-in hybrid systems consisting of coupled ferromagnetic and superconducting layers. Spin-orbit interaction in the superconductor mediates a magnetoelectric coupling between the vortex and the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2016-07, Vol.117 (1), p.017001-017001, Article 017001
Main Authors: Hals, Kjetil M D, Schecter, Michael, Rudner, Mark S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Binding
Computer simulation
Constituents
Estimates
Ferromagnetism
Particle theory
Superconductors
Topology
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Summary:We investigate the formation of a new type of composite topological excitation-the Skyrmion-vortex pair (SVP)-in hybrid systems consisting of coupled ferromagnetic and superconducting layers. Spin-orbit interaction in the superconductor mediates a magnetoelectric coupling between the vortex and the Skyrmion, with a sign (attractive or repulsive) that depends on the topological indices of the constituents. We determine the conditions under which a bound SVP is formed and characterize the range and depth of the effective binding potential through analytical estimates and numerical simulations. Furthermore, we develop a semiclassical description of the coupled Skyrmion-vortex dynamics and discuss how SVPs can be controlled by applied spin currents.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.017001