Light-Driven Skyrmion Crystal Generation in Plasmonic Metasurfaces Through the Inverse Faraday Effect

Abstract: Skyrmions are topological structures defined by a winding vector configuration that yields a quantized topological charge. In magnetic materials, skyrmions manifest as stable, mobile spin textures, positioning them at the forefront of spintronics research. Meanwhile, their optical counterparts unlock new possibilities for manipulating and directing light at the nanoscale. Exploring the territories where magnetism and optics meet therefore holds immense promise for ultrafast control over magnetic processes. Here, we report the generation of a skyrmion-topological lattice through the inverse Faraday effect in a plasmonic metasurface. Specifically, a hexagonal array of gold nanodisks induces unidirectional drift photocurrents in each nanodisk, while counterpropagating phantom currents arise in the hexagonal interstices. This interplay creates a lattice of skyrmionic magnetic textures. Crucially, the all optical, large scale formation of skyrmions potentially at ultrafast timescales offers a pathway for integrating these topological spin textures into magnetic materials, laying the groundwork for next-generation data storage and processing technologies.