Multiferroicity in skyrminonic materials


The recently discovered coexistence of both ferroelectricity and non-conventional skyrmionic spin textures in the lacunar spinel GaV4S8 (GVS) promises outstanding magnetoelectric effects to happen in these compounds. Notably, GVS is the first and only multiferroic material known to date that potentially might find its way into top-modern applications such as skyrmionic memories. In order to significantly advance the fundamental understanding, we propose in this bilateral project to shed light onto the fundamental static and dynamic behavior of GVS and its related compounds, through the concerted nanoscale approach between theory and experiment. More precisely, we uniquely combine the local-scale experimental inspection (by using various scanning probe techniques and optical spectroscopy) with multi-scale modeling strategies (i.e. ab-initio, phase field modelling, etc.). The two participating teams in Prague/Czech Republic and Dresden/Germany form the ideal basis in order to conduct this research in the proposed bilateral project.