Light-driven control of topological structures unlocks new path for ultrafast memory

Light-driven control of topological structures unlocks new path for ultrafast memory
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 07, 2025

In a breakthrough uniting photonics and condensed matter physics, researchers have developed a new optical technique to precisely control topological solitons - including skyrmions and antiskyrmions - inside ferroelectric materials. The discovery could pave the way for next-generation ultrafast memory and logic devices.

The study, published in Physical Review B, was led by scientists from the University of Arkansas and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), who reimagined the Poincare sphere - a geometric tool long used to describe light polarization - as a "tuning knob" for manipulating nano-scale topological textures in ferroelectric ultrathin films.

By engineering the twist and phase of laser beams, including Laguerre-Gaussian and Hermite-Gaussian modes, the team achieved smooth transitions between distinct topological states such as skyrmions, antiskyrmions, and vortices. "Poincare sphere engineering effectively acts like a dial, allowing us to switch and blend between skyrmions, antiskyrmions, and vortex structures at will - all using structured light," explained co-author Yijie Shen.

Advanced molecular dynamics simulations showed that subtle changes in a laser's polarization geometry could imprint dynamic nanoscale vortex and hybrid structures onto the material within trillionths of a second. Unlike earlier electrical or mechanical approaches, this all-optical method provides ultrafast, highly tunable control and could form the foundation for reconfigurable bits in high-density data storage.

The researchers note that the robustness of these topological states could enable new forms of information processing, bridging the gap between light and matter at the smallest scales. "Transferring topological control from the lab to light could create new analogues for quasiparticles - potentially impacting quantum computing, high-capacity optical networks, and our understanding of topological matter overall," Shen added.

Future work will explore applying these optical control principles to magnetic and acoustic systems, and performing time-resolved optical pump-probe experiments to observe these ultrafast phenomena directly in real materials.

Research Report:Poincare sphere engineering of dynamical ferroelectric topological solitons