Theory and origins of topological spin textures and chirality in centrosymmetric cubic perovskite SrFeO3 from first principles.

Symmetry-protected topological materials, known for their robust quantum states and magnetic spin textures such as skyrmions, are promising candidates for low-power computing and data storage [1] due to their quantized real-space topology and robustness to perturbations. Topological spin textures have typically been observed in non-centrosymmetric systems, primarily driven by the competition between the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and the Heisenberg exchange interaction. Surprisingly, recent experiments have discovered 3D spin textures in the centrosymmetric cubic perovskite SrFeO3 [2], revealing a rich phase diagram with five distinct phases under different magnetic fields and temperatures. Despite these findings, neither the topological nature nor the mechanisms behind the formation of these spin textures have been confirmed yet. Here, we address these questions using first-principles calculations, Monte-Carlo simulations, and theoretical analysis. Our results provide new theoretical insights into the topology and chirality of the reported phases and reveal the microscopic origin behind the formation of spin textures found in SrFeO3.

[1] Fert, A., Reyren, N. & Cros, V. Magnetic skyrmions: advances in physics and potential applications. Nat Rev Mater 2, 17031 (2017)

[2] S. Ishiwata, et al., Emergent topological spin structures in the centrosymmetric cubic perovskite SrFeO3, Phys. Rev. B 101, 134406 (2020)