Antiskyrmions in Ferroelectric Barium Titanate

Abstract

Typical magnetic skyrmion is a string of inverted magnetization within a ferromagnet, protected by a sleeve of a vortexlike spin texture, such that its cross-section carries an integer topological charge. Some magnets form antiskyrmions, the antiparticle strings which carry an opposite topological charge. Here we demonstrate that topologically equivalent but purely electric antiskyrmion can exist in a ferroelectric material as well. In particular, our computer experiments reveal that the archetype ferroelectric, barium titanate, can host antiskyrmions at zero field. The polarization pattern around their cores reminds ring windings of decorative knots rather than the typical magnetic antiskyrmion texture. We show that the antiskyrmion of barium titanate has just 2–3 nm in diameter, a hexagonal cross section, and an exotic topological charge with doubled magnitude and opposite sign when compared to the standard skyrmion string. Published by the American Physical Society 2024