Skyrmionics in correlated oxides

While chiral magnets, metal-based magnetic multilayers, or Heusler compounds have been considered as the material workhorses in the field of skyrmionics, oxides are now emerging as promising alternatives, as they host special correlations between the spin–orbital–charge–lattice degrees of freedom and/or coupled ferroic order parameters. These interactions open new possibilities for practically exploiting skyrmionics. In this article, we review the recent advances in the observation and control of topological spin textures in various oxide systems. We start with the discovery of skyrmions and related quasiparticles in bulk and heterostructure ferromagnetic oxides. Next, we emphasize the shortcomings of implementing ferromagnetic textures, which have led to the recent explorations of ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic oxide counterparts, with higher Curie temperatures, stray-field immunity, low Gilbert damping, ultrafast magnetic dynamics, and/or absence of skyrmion deflection. Then, we highlight the development of novel pathways to control the stability, motion, and detection of topological textures using electric fields and currents. Finally, we present the outstanding challenges that need to be overcome to achieve all-electrical, nonvolatile, low-power oxide skyrmionic devices. Graphical abstract

Discovery of electrochemically induced grain boundary transitions

Electric fields and currents, which are used in innovative materials processing and electrochemical energy conversion, can often alter microstructures in unexpected ways. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Using ZnO-Bi2O3 as a model system, this study uncovers how an applied electric current can change the microstructural evolution through an electrochemically induced grain boundary transition. By combining aberration-corrected electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, first-principles calculations, a generalizable thermodynamic model, and ab initio molecular dynamics, this study reveals that electrochemical reduction can cause a grain boundary disorder-to-order transition to markedly increase grain boundary diffusivities and mobilities. Consequently, abruptly enhanced or abnormal grain growth takes place. These findings advance our fundamental knowledge of grain boundary complexion (phase-like) transitions and electric field effects on microstructural stability and evolution, with broad scientific and technological impacts. A new method to tailor the grain boundary structures and properties, as well as the microstructures, electrochemically can also be envisioned.

Preprocessing General Head Models for BEM-FMM Modeling Pertinent to Brain Stimulation

Introduction: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a major noninvasive neurostimulation method in which a coil placed near the head employs electromagnetic induction to produce electric fields and currents within the brain. To predict the actual site of stimulation, numerical simulation of the electric fields within the head using high-resolution subject-specific head models is required. A TMS modeling software toolkit has been developed based on the boundary element fast multipole method (BEM-FMM), which has several advantages over conventional finite element method (FEM) solvers.Objective: To extend the applicability of the BEM-FMM TMS simulation toolkit to head models whose meshing scheme produces a single mesh for every unique tissue instead of producing a single mesh for every unique tissue/tissue boundary.Method: The MIDA model of the IT’IS Foundation, Switzerland, comprises 115 high-resolution tissue models in the form that the BEM-FMM toolkit is modified to accept. The updated BEM-FMM toolkit is tested using this head model.Results: The BEM-FMM toolkit has been successfully modified to accept head models consisting of one unique mesh per unique tissue while still supporting its initial model format of one unique mesh per boundary between two specific tissues. Performance impacts occur in the preprocessing phase only, meaning that the charge computation method performs equally well regardless of model format.

Root electrotropism in Arabidopsis does not depend on auxin distribution, requires cytokinin and follows a power-law response curve

An efficient foraging strategy for plant roots relies on the ability to sense multiple physical and chemical cues in soil and to reorient growth accordingly (tropism). Root tropisms range from sensing gravity (gravitropism), light (phototropism), water (hydrotropism), touch (thigmotropism) and more. Electrotropism, also known as galvanotropism, is the phenomenon of aligning growth with external electric fields and currents. Although observed in a few species since the end of the 19th century, the molecular and physical mechanism of root electrotropism remains elusive, limiting the comparison to more defined sensing pathways in plants.Here we provide a first quantitative and molecular characterisation of root electrotropism in the model system Arabidopsis thaliana, showing that it does not depend on an asymmetric distribution of the plant hormone auxin but that, instead, it requires the biosynthesis of a second hormone, cytokinin. We also show that the dose-response kinetics of root electrotropism follows a power law analogous to the one observed in common animal physiological reactions, suggesting universal properties.A full molecular and quantitative characterisation of root electrotropism would represent a step forward towards a better understanding of signal integration in plants, and an independent outgroup for comparative analysis of electroreception in animals and fungi.

Dynamic Drivers of TIFe Diurnal Cycle in Antarctica

The discovery of the thermosphere-ionosphere Fe (TIFe) layers has opened a door to exploring the least understood thermosphere and ionosphere region between 100 and 200 km with ground-based lidar instruments. The characteristics of the polar TIFe layers, and the impacts of the atmosphere neutral dynamics, electrodynamics, and metallic chemistry on the formation of TIFe layers deserve further investigation, especially the diurnal cycles of TIFe layers observed by lidar. This paper aims at investigating the major driving forces with 1-D Thermosphere-Ionosphere Fe/Fe+ (TIFe) model. A main question to answer is whether neutral dynamics like tidal winds or electrodynamics like the convection electric fields and currents in the magnetosphere and ionosphere are responsible for the diurnal cycle of TIFe layers.

Geomagnetic field H, Z, and electromagnetic induction features of coronal mass ejections in association with geomagnetic storm at African longitudes

The largest geomagnetic disturbance caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) of solar cycle 24 recorded on both 17 March and 22 June 2015 with minimum disturbance storm time values of −223 and −195 nT, respectively, was investigated. This study examines the effect of CME on Earth’s geomagnetic field, which includes the time derivatives of horizontal (H) and vertical (Z) components of the geomagnetic field and the rate of induction ΔZ/ΔH at African longitudes (AAE, MBO, HBK, HER, and TAM). The results demonstrated enhancement of dH/dt and dZ/dt in the daytime over the equatorial zone (AAE and MBO) and mid-latitudes (TAM, HER, and HBK) on 17 March 2015. Nighttime enhancement was observed on 22 June 2015 over the equatorial zones and mid-latitudes. Wavelet spectrum approach is used to investigate ΔZ/ΔH variation observed at AAE, MBO, HBK, HER, and TAM. The CME may have influence on time derivatives of geomagnetic field H, Z, and electromagnetic induction at the African longitudes, which may be associated with perturbations in electric fields and currents in the equatorial and low-latitude magnetic field linked with the changes in magnetospheric convection.

Pre-seismic variations of atmospheric radon activity as a possible reason for abnormal atmospheric effects

Possible atmospheric effects associated with pre-seismic variations of atmospheric radon concentration occasionally observed prior to earthquake occurrence are subjected to theoretical study in order to assess their potential effectiveness. Altitude distribution of atmospheric conductivity is examined as a function of radon and aerosol concentrations. Horizontal components of atmospheric electric fields and currents, which can arise near a boundary of seismo-active region, are estimated. We speculated that changes in radon-induced air ionization can have an impact on fair-weather spectra of ULF electric pulsations. Particular emphasis has been placed on hypothesis for correlation between variations of pre-seismic radon activity and upward thermal radiation measured by satellite over the high seismicity regions. This hypothesis is based on assumption that the radon-induced ionization of atmospheric surface layer can trigger water vapor condensation which in turn results in release of the vaporization heat. Our analysis has shown that the upward thermal flux has to be many orders of magnitude lower than that predicted on the basis of this hypothesis.