Antiskyrmionic ferroelectric medium

Typical magnetic skyrmion is a string of inverted magnetization within a ferromagnet, protected by a sleeve of a vortex-like spin texture, such that its cross-section carries a positive integer topological charge. Some magnets form antiskyrmions, the antiparticle strings which carry a negative topological charge instead. Here we demonstrate that topologically equivalent but purely electric antiskyrmion can exist in a ferroelectric material as well. In particular, our computer experiments reveal that the archetype ferroelectric, barium titanate, can host antiskyrmions. The polarization pattern around their cores reminds ring windings of decorative knots rather than the typical magnetic antiskyrmion texture. We show that the antiskyrmion of barium titanate has just 2-3 nm in diameter, a hexagonal cross-section, and an exotic topological charge of minus two. We deduce that formation of antiskyrmions is favored by a fortunate combination of the moderate anisotropy of the anharmonic electric susceptibility and the characteristic anisotropy of the polarization correlations in barium titanate crystals.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; expanded abstract and discussion, explicite definition of the sign of Q and corrected missprint

Zig-zag charged domain walls in ferroelectric PbTiO3_3

We report a theoretical investigation of a charged 180$^\circ$ domain wall in ferroelectric PbTiO$_3$, compensated by randomly distributed immobile charge defects. For this we utilize atomistic shell-model simulations and continuous phase-field simulations in the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire model. We predict that domain walls form a zig-zag pattern and we discuss its properties in a broad interval of compensation-region widths, ranging from a couple to over a hundred nanometers

Collective oscillations of excitable elements: order parameters, bistability and the role of stochasticity

We study the effects of a probabilistic refractory period in the collective behavior of coupled discrete-time excitable cells (SIRS-like cellular automata). Using mean-field analysis and simulations, we show that a synchronized phase with stable collective oscillations exists even with non-deterministic refractory periods. Moreover, further increasing the coupling strength leads to a reentrant transition, where the synchronized phase loses stability. In an intermediate regime, we also observe bistability (and consequently hysteresis) between a synchronized phase and an active but incoherent phase without oscillations. The onset of the oscillations appears in the mean-field equations as a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation, the nature of which (i.e. super- or subcritical) is determined by the first Lyapunov coefficient. This allows us to determine the borders of the oscillating and of the bistable regions. The mean-field prediction thus obtained agrees quantitatively with simulations of complete graphs and, for random graphs, qualitatively predicts the overall structure of the phase diagram. The latter can be obtained from simulations by defining an order parameter q suited for detecting collective oscillations of excitable elements. We briefly review other commonly used order parameters and show (via data collapse) that q satisfies the expected finite size scaling relations.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure

Chiral structures of electric polarization vectors quantified by X-ray resonant scattering

Resonant elastic X-ray scattering (REXS) offers a unique tool to investigate solid-state systems providing spatial knowledge from diffraction combined with electronic information through the enhanced absorption process, allowing the probing of magnetic, charge, spin, and orbital degrees of spatial order together with electronic structure. A new promising application of REXS is to elucidate the chiral structure of electrical polarization emergent in a ferroelectric oxide superlattice in which the polarization vectors in the REXS amplitude are implicitly described through an anisotropic tensor corresponding to the quadrupole moment. Here, we present a detailed theoretical framework and analysis to quantitatively analyze the experimental results of Ti L-edge REXS of a polar vortex array formed in a PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattice. Based on this theoretical framework, REXS for polar chiral structures can become a useful tool similar to x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS), enabling a comprehensive study of both electric and magnetic REXS on the chiral structures.K.T.K., S.Y.P., and D.R.L acknowledge financial support by National Research Foundation of Korea (Grant No. NRF-2020R1A2C1009597, NRF-2019K1A3A7A09033387, and NRF-2021R1C1C1009494). M.M. and R.R. were supported by the Quantum Materials program from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, US Department of Energy (DE-AC02-05CH11231). V.A.S., J.W.F., and L.W.M. acknowledge the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Award Number DE-SC-0012375 for support to study complex-oxide heterostructure with X-ray scattering. L.W.M. and R.R. acknowledge partial support from the Army Research Office under the ETHOS MURI via cooperative agreement W911NF-21-2-0162. J.Í. acknowledges financial support from the Luxembourg National Research Fund through project FNR/C18/MS/12705883/REFOX. M.A.P.G. was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (project no. 19-28594X). Diamond Light Source, UK, is acknowledged for beamtime on beamline I10 under proposal NT24797. Use of the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231, and use of the Advanced Photon Source was supported by DOE’s Office of Science under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357

Structural chirality of polar skyrmions probed by resonant elastic x-ray scattering

An escalating challenge in condensed-matter research is the characterization of emergent order-parameter nanostructures such as ferroelectric and ferromagnetic skyrmions. Their small length scales coupled with complex, three-dimensional polarization or spin structures makes them demanding to trace out fully. Resonant elastic x-ray scattering (REXS) has emerged as a technique to study chirality in spin textures such as skyrmions and domain walls. It has, however, been used to a considerably lesser extent to study analogous features in ferroelectrics. Here, we present a framework for modeling REXS from an arbitrary arrangement of charge quadrupole moments, which can be applied to nanostructures in materials such as ferroelectrics. With this, we demonstrate how extended reciprocal space scans using REXS with circularly polarized x rays can probe the three-dimensional structure and chirality of polar skyrmions. Measurements, bolstered by quantitative scattering calculations, show that polar skyrmions of mixed chirality coexist, and that REXS allows valuation of relative fractions of right- and left-handed skyrmions. Our quantitative analysis of the structure and chirality of polar skyrmions highlights the capability of REXS for establishing complex topological structures toward future application exploits.M. R. M. and R. R. were supported by the Quantum Materials program from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy (DE-AC02-05CH11231). V. A. S., J. W. F., and L. W. M. acknowledge the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Award No. DE-SC-0012375 for support to study complex-oxide heterostructure with x-ray scattering. L. W. M. and R. R. acknowledge partial support from the Army Research Office under the ETHOS MURI via cooperative agreement W911NF-21-2-0162. J. Í. acknowledge financial support from the Luxembourg National Research Fund through project FNR/C18/MS/12705883/REFOX. Diamond Light Source, UK, is acknowledged for beam time on beam line I10 under proposal NT24797. K. T. K., S. Y. P., and D. R. L. acknowledge support from the National Research Foundation of Korea, under Grant No. NRF-2020R1A2C1009597, NRF-2019K1A3A7A09033387, and NRF-2021R1C1C1009494. M. A. P. G. acknowledges support by the Czech Science Foundation (Project No. 19-28594X). This research used resources of the Advanced Light Source, a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility at Argonne National Laboratory and is based on research supported by the U.S. DOE Office of Science-Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. S. D. gratefully acknowledges a start-up grant from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. F. G.-O., P. G.-F., and J. J. acknowledge financial support from Grant No. PGC2018-096955-B-C41 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF “A way of making Europe,” by the European Union. F. G.-O. acknowledges financial support from Grant No. FPU18/04661 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/50110001103

Low prevalence of renal, cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological extra-articular clinical manifestations in spondyloarthritis: analysis of the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To describe the extra-articular manifestations (cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological), usually not related to spondyloarthritis (SpA), in a large cohort of Brazilian patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 1,472 patients diagnosed with SpA and cared for at 29 health care centers distributed in the five major geographic regions in the country, participating in the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis (BRS). All patients were assessed for the prevalence of major extra-articular manifestations (cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological), classified according to the diagnosis [ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), reactive arthritis (ReA), arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (uSpA), and juvenile SpA], and according to the clinical presentation (axial, peripheral, mixed, and enthesitis). RESULTS: Of the patients with SpA assessed, 963 had AS, 271 PsA, 49 ReA, 48 arthritis associated with IBD, 98 uSpA, and 43 juvenile SpA. Cardiac involvement was reported in 44 patients (3.0%), pulmonary involvement in 19 (1.3%), renal involvement in 17 (1.2%), and neurological involvement in 13 patients (0.9%). Most patients with visceral involvement had AS or PsA, and the mixed (axial + peripheral) and/or predominantly axial clinical form. CONCLUSION: Cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological extra-articular manifestations are quite infrequent in SpA, ranging from 0.9% to 3% in this large Brazilian cohort, and affected predominantly patients with AS and PsA.OBJETIVO: Descrever as manifestações extra-articulares (cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas) geralmente não relacionadas às espondiloartrites (EpA) em uma grande coorte de pacientes brasileiros. MÉTODOS: Este estudo retrospectivo analisou 1.472 pacientes com o diagnóstico de EpA atendidos em 29 centros distribuídos pelas cinco principais regiões geográficas do Brasil, integrantes do Registro Brasileiro de Espondiloartrites. Todos os pacientes foram avaliados para a prevalência das principais manifestações extra-articulares (cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas), divididas por diagnóstico [espondilite anquilosante (EA), artrite psoriásica (AP), artrite reativa (ARe), artrite associada a doença inflamatória intestinal (DII), EpA indiferenciada (EI) e EpA juvenil] e por forma clínica (axial, periférica, mista e entesítica). RESULTADOS: Dentre os pacientes avaliados com EpA, 963 apresentavam EA, 271 AP, 49 ARe, 48 artrite associada a DII, 98 EI e 43 EpA juvenil. Acometimento cardíaco foi observado em 44 pacientes (3,0%), seguido por acometimento pulmonar em 19 (1,3%), renal em 17 (1,2%) e neurológico em 13 pacientes (0,9%). A maioria dos casos de acometimento visceral ocorreu nos pacientes com EA ou AP e naqueles com forma clínica mista (axial e periférica) e/ou predominantemente axial. CONCLUSÃO: As manifestações extra-articulares cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas são muito pouco frequentes nas EpA, variando de 0,9%-3% nesta grande coorte brasileira, estando mais associadas a EA e AP.37938