Texture-induced spin-orbit coupling and skyrmion-electron bound states in a Neel antiferromagnet

We derive an effective-mass electron Hamiltonian for a Neel antiferromagnet in the presence of a smooth texture of the staggered magnetization. For certain locations of electron band extrema, the texture produces a peculiar and anomalously strong spin-orbit coupling of the scale h over bar v/L, with v the Fermi velocity and L the characteristic length scale of the texture. For a skyrmion texture, this coupling generates electron bound states, whose energy scale is given by the gap A in the electron spectrum. With dopant carriers, such bound states turn the skyrmion into a charged particle, that can be manipulated by electric field.

Automated summary

We obtain an effective-mass electron Hamiltonian for a Neel antiferromagnet with a smooth texture in the staggered magnetization. The texture induces an unusually strong spin-orbit coupling at certain electron band extrema, of the scale h over bar v/L, where v is the Fermi velocity and L is the characteristic length scale of the texture. In the case of a skyrmion texture, this coupling leads to the formation of electron bound states, with energy scale determined by the gap A in the electron spectrum. By introducing dopant carriers, these bound states turn the skyrmion into a charged particle that can be manipulated electrically.