Chapter 15
Topological Dynamics of Spin Texture
Based Metamaterials
Zhixiong Li, Yunshan Cao, and Peng Yan
Abstract Pursuing topological phase and matter in a variety of systems is one central
issue in current physical sciences and engineering. Similar to other
(quasi-)particles, the collective gyration motion of magnetic spin textures (vortex,
bubble, and skyrmion etc.) can also exhibit the behavior of waves. In this chapter, we
review our recent work on topological dynamics of spin-texture based metamaterials.
We first briefly introduce the topological structures, properties, and applications of
magnetic solitons. Then we focus on the topological dynamics of spin texture lattice, uncovering the first-order topological insulator in two-dimensional honeycomb
lattice of massive magnetic skyrmions, and the second-order topological insulator
in breathing kagome and honeycomb lattice of vortices. Conclusion and outlook are
drawn finally.
15.1 Introduction
In recent years, topological insulators (TIs) [1–3] are receiving considerable attention
for their exotic physical properties. The most peculiar character of TIs is that they can
support chiral edge states which are absent in conventional insulators. Topological
edge states are modes confined at the boundary/surface of a system and generally
have a certain chirality which enables them to be immune from small disturbances
such as disorders and/or defects. Ever since its discovery in electronic systems [4, 5],
the topological edge state has been readily predicted and observed in optics [6–10],
mechanics [11–14], acoustics [15–18], and very recently in magnetics [19–22].
A conventional n-dimensional topological insulator only has (n − 1)-dimensional
(first-order) topological edge/surface modes according to the bulk-boundary correspondence [1, 2]. Very recently, the concept of higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) was proposed [23–29] and confirmed by various experiments in
Z. Li · Y. Cao · P. Yan (B)
School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science
and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
e-mail: yan@uestc.edu.cn
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Kamenetskii (ed.), Chirality, Magnetism and Magnetoelectricity,
Topics in Applied Physics 138,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62844-4_15
405
Topological Dynamics of Spin Texture
Based Metamaterials
Zhixiong Li, Yunshan Cao, and Peng Yan
Abstract Pursuing topological phase and matter in a variety of systems is one central
issue in current physical sciences and engineering. Similar to other
(quasi-)particles, the collective gyration motion of magnetic spin textures (vortex,
bubble, and skyrmion etc.) can also exhibit the behavior of waves. In this chapter, we
review our recent work on topological dynamics of spin-texture based metamaterials.
We first briefly introduce the topological structures, properties, and applications of
magnetic solitons. Then we focus on the topological dynamics of spin texture lattice, uncovering the first-order topological insulator in two-dimensional honeycomb
lattice of massive magnetic skyrmions, and the second-order topological insulator
in breathing kagome and honeycomb lattice of vortices. Conclusion and outlook are
drawn finally.
15.1 Introduction
In recent years, topological insulators (TIs) [1–3] are receiving considerable attention
for their exotic physical properties. The most peculiar character of TIs is that they can
support chiral edge states which are absent in conventional insulators. Topological
edge states are modes confined at the boundary/surface of a system and generally
have a certain chirality which enables them to be immune from small disturbances
such as disorders and/or defects. Ever since its discovery in electronic systems [4, 5],
the topological edge state has been readily predicted and observed in optics [6–10],
mechanics [11–14], acoustics [15–18], and very recently in magnetics [19–22].
A conventional n-dimensional topological insulator only has (n − 1)-dimensional
(first-order) topological edge/surface modes according to the bulk-boundary correspondence [1, 2]. Very recently, the concept of higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) was proposed [23–29] and confirmed by various experiments in
Z. Li · Y. Cao · P. Yan (B)
School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science
and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
e-mail: yan@uestc.edu.cn
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Kamenetskii (ed.), Chirality, Magnetism and Magnetoelectricity,
Topics in Applied Physics 138,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62844-4_15
405