Tuneable skyrmion and anti-skyrmion fluids via mechanical strain in chiral kagome lattice

Abstract

Magnetic skyrmions are nanometric swirling spin textures that exhibit remarkable stability at finite temperatures, making them promising candidates for spintronic applications. Achieving controllable stability and transitions between distinct topological structures is crucial for practical implementations. In this work, we investigate the effect of uniaxial mechanical strain on a magnetic model on the kagome lattice, focusing on skyrmion stability and emergent topological phases. To this end, we consider a Heisenberg model that includes exchange interactions and both in-plane and out-of-plane Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions. Using a combination of Spin-Lattice Dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations, we explore uniaxial strain variations in the range of $-10\%$ to $10\%$, showing important effects on the phase diagram. For compressive strain, we find that the density of skyrmions in the skyrmion gas (SkG) phase can be tuned and that the stability of this phase extends to higher temperatures. Tensile strain, in contrast, reduces the number of skyrmions and promotes transitions to other magnetic states. Within this regime, strain levels of about ($\sim4-6\%$) lead to a change in topological charge, turning skyrmions ($Q=-1$) into antiskyrmions ($Q=+1$). We also examine how strain affects other phases commonly appearing in skyrmion-hosting systems, such as the helical and fully polarized states, showing that mechanical deformation alters their stability and characteristic properties. Finally, we compare these results with the strain response of a more conventional skyrmion model, in order to clarify the role of the different interactions involved. Our results identify strain as an experimentally accessible route for engineering topological spin textures.