Electric field switching of altermagnetic spin-splitting in multiferroic skyrmions

Gui Wang; Yuhang Li; Bin Li; Xianzhe Chen; Jianting Dong; Weizhao Chen; Xiaobing Chen; Naifu Zheng; Maosen Guo; Aomei Tong; Hua Bai; Hongrui Zhang; Yifan Gao; Kaiwen Shen; Jiangyuan Zhu; Jiahao Han; Yingfen Wei; Hao Jiang; Xumeng Zhang; Ming Wang; Kebiao Xu; Wu Shi; Pengfei Wang; Jia Zhang; Qihang Liu; Cheng Song; Qi Liu; Xincheng Xie; Ming Liu

arXiv · 2601.06738

Electric field switching of altermagnetic spin-splitting in multiferroic skyrmions

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Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are localized magnetic structures that retain their shape and stability over time, thanks to their topological nature. Recent theoretical and experimental progress has laid the groundwork for understanding magnetic skyrmions characterized by negligible net magnetization and ultrafast dynamics. Notably, skyrmions emerging in materials with altermagnetism, a novel magnetic phase featuring lifted Kramers degeneracy-have remained unreported until now. In this study, we demonstrate that BiFeO3, a multiferroic renowned for its strong coupling between ferroelectricity and magnetism, can transit from a spin cycloid to a Neel-type skyrmion under antidamping spin-orbit torque at room temperature. Strikingly, the altermagnetic spin splitting within BiFeO3 skyrmion can be reversed through the application of an electric field, revealed via the Circular photogalvanic effect. This quasiparticle, which possesses a neutral topological charge, holds substantial promise for diverse applications-most notably, enabling the development of unconventional computing systems with low power consumption and magnetoelectric controllability.

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Gui Wang, Yuhang Li, Bin Li, Xianzhe Chen, Jianting Dong, Weizhao Chen, Xiaobing Chen, Naifu Zheng, Maosen Guo, Aomei Tong, Hua Bai, Hongrui Zhang, Yifan Gao, Kaiwen Shen, Jiangyuan Zhu, Jiahao Han, Yingfen Wei, Hao Jiang, Xumeng Zhang, Ming Wang, Kebiao Xu, Wu Shi, Pengfei Wang, Jia Zhang, Qihang Liu, Cheng Song, Qi Liu, Xincheng Xie, Ming Liu. 2026-01-11. Electric field switching of altermagnetic spin-splitting in multiferroic skyrmions. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.06738

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