A skyrmion is a region where the orientation of a vector field—such as a magnet’s spin texture—locally adopts a vortex-like configuration. Originally conceived as a mathematical description of protons and neutrons, skyrmions have since been realized in magnetic materials, Bose-Einstein condensates, and optical devices. Now Lei Shi of Fudan University in China and his collaborators have made half-skyrmions, or merons, by shining polarized light through a photonic crystal [1]. A meron’s or skyrmion’s integrity depends on how many times the orientation of the field rotates within it. This property is usually hard to change, making these features potential channels for information storage.
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