Mechanisms for Magnetic Skyrmion Catalysis and Topological Superconductivity

We propose an alternative route to stabilize magnetic skyrmion textures which does not require Dzyaloshinkii-Moriya interaction, magnetic anisotropy, or an external Zeeman field. Instead, it solely relies on the emergence of flux in the system’s ground state. We discuss scenarios that lead to a nonzero flux, and identify the magnetic skyrmion ground states which become accessible in its presence. Moreover, we explore the chiral superconductors obtained for the surface states of a topological crystalline insulator when two types of magnetic skyrmion crystals coexist with a pairing gap. Our work opens perspectives for engineering topological superconductivity in a minimal fashion, and promises to unearth functional topological materials and devices which may be more compatible with electrostatic control than the currently explored skyrmion-Majorana platforms.