Theory of skyrmion states in liquid crystals.
Within the Oseen-Frank theory we derive numerically exact solutions for axisymmetric localized states in chiral liquid crystal layers with homeotropic anchoring. These solutions describe recently observed two-dimensional skyrmions in confinement-frustrated chiral nematics [P. J. Ackerman et al., Phys. Rev. E 90, 012505 (2014)]. We stress that these solitonic states arise due to a fundamental stabilization mechanism responsible for the formation of skyrmions in cubic helimagnets and other noncentrosymmetric condensed-matter systems.
IFW Dresden, Postfach 270016, D-01171 Dresden, Germany and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9700AB, The Netherlands.
A O
AO
Leonov
Donetsk Institute for Physics and Technology, 340114 Donetsk, Ukraine.
I E
IE
Dragunov
IFW Dresden, Postfach 270016, D-01171 Dresden, Germany.
U K
UK
Rößler
IFW Dresden, Postfach 270016, D-01171 Dresden, Germany.
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AN
Bogdanov