Towards the Design of Centrosymmetric Skymion Materials

A skyrmion is a vortex-like, two-dimensional spin configuration protected by topological properties. These have been observed in both non-centrosymmetric and centrosymmetric crystal structures. Skyrmions found in the latter often exhibit smaller sizes, as well as variable helicity and vorticity, making them particularly promising as information carriers for high-density magnetic storage devices. Furthermore, the interaction between the charge and spin degrees of freedom of itinerant electrons in these skyrmion hosts offers a unique platform for investigating exotic topological phenomena in itinerant magnets. Despite this interest, the observation of centrosymmetric skyrmion hosts remains limited. In this talk, I will discuss design principles in identifying potential Europium-based skyrmion candidates. In particular, I will discuss the relevance of frustrated lattice motifs and potential connections between the magnetic orders and the details of the electronic structure. I will conclude by discussing recent progress on experimental characterization of such candidates.