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arXiv · 1706.09514

Liquid crystal Skyrmions can swim

Paul J. Ackerman·Timothy Boyle·Ivan I. Smalyukh
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Abstract

Topologically nontrivial field configurations called "baby skyrmions" behave like particles and give origins to the field of skyrmionics that promises racetrack memory and other technological applications. Unraveling the non-equilibrium behavior of such topological solitons is a challenge. We realize baby skyrmions in a chiral liquid crystal and, using numerical modeling and polarized video microscopy, demonstrate electrically driven squirming motion. We reveal the intricate details of non-equilibrium topology-preserving textural changes driving this behavior. Direction of the skyrmion's motion is robustly controlled in a plane orthogonal to the applied field and can be reversed by varying frequency. Our findings may spur a new paradigm of soliton dynamics in soft matter, with a rich interplay between topology, chirality, and orientational viscoelasticity.

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Paul J. Ackerman, Timothy Boyle, Ivan I. Smalyukh. 2017-06-28. Liquid crystal Skyrmions can swim. https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.09514

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