Heliknoton in a film of cubic chiral magnet

Abstract

Cubic chiral magnets exhibit a remarkable diversity of two-dimensional topological magnetic textures, including skyrmions. However, the experimental confirmation of topological states localized in all three spatial dimensions remains challenging. In this paper, we investigate a three-dimensional topological state called a heliknoton, which is a hopfion embedded into a helix or conic background. We explore the range of parameters at which the heliknoton can be stabilized under realistic conditions using micromagnetic modeling, harmonic transition state theory, and stochastic spin dynamics simulations. We present theoretical Lorentz TEM images of the heliknoton, which can be used for experimental comparison. Additionally, we discuss the stability of the heliknoton at finite temperatures and the mechanism of its collapse. Our study offers a pathway for future experimental investigations of three-dimensional topological solitons in magnetic crystals.