Meron-mediated phase transitions in quasi-two-dimensional chiral magnets with easy-plane anisotropy: successive transformation of the hexagonal skyrmion lattice into the square lattice and into the tilted FM state

Abstract

I revisit the well-known structural transition between hexagonal and square skyrmion lattices induced by increasing easy-plane anisotropy in quasi-two-dimensional chiral magnets. I show that the hexagonal skyrmion order, by the first-order phase transition, transforms into a distorted (rhombic) skyrmion lattice. The transition is mediated by merons and anti-merons emerging within the boundaries between skyrmion cells. Since the energy density associated with anti-merons is highly positive owing to the wrong rotational sense, one anti-meron per unit cell annihilates: anti-merons are squeezed by the pairs of approaching merons at the opposite sides of the hexagonal unit cell. Further, in a narrow range of anisotropy values, the distorted skyrmion lattice gradually transforms into a perfect square order of skyrmions (alternatively called "a square meron-antimeron crystal") when two merons eventually merge into one. Thus, within the square skyrmion lattice, there is one meron and two anti-merons per unit cell, which underlie the subsequent first-order phase transition into the tilted ferromagnetic state. A pair of oppositely charged merons mutually annihilates, whereas a remaining anti-meron couples with an anti-meron occupying the center of the unit cell. As an outcome, the tilted ferromagnetic state contains bimeron clusters (chains) with the attracting inter-soliton potential. Moreover, domain-wall merons are actively involved in dynamic responses of the square skyrmion lattices. As an example, I theoretically study spin-wave modes and their excitations by ac magnetic fields. Two found resonance peaks are the result of the complex dynamics of domain-wall merons: whereas in the high-frequency mode, merons rotate counterclockwise as one might expect, in the low-frequency mode, merons are created and annihilated consistently with the rotational motion of the domain boundaries.