Resonance modes and microwave-driven translational motion of a skyrmion crystal under an inclined magnetic field

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the microwave-active resonance modes of a skyrmion crystal on a thin-plate specimen under application of an external magnetic field that is inclined from the perpendicular direction to the skyrmion plane. In addition to the well-known breathing mode and two rotation modes, we find novel resonance modes that can be regarded as combinations of the breathing and rotation modes. Motivated by the previous theoretical work of Wang $et$ $al.$ [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 92}, 020403(R) (2015).], which demonstrated skyrmion propagation driven by breathing-mode excitation under an inclined magnetic field, we investigate the propagation of a skyrmion crystal driven by these resonance modes using micromagnetic simulations. We find that the direction and velocity of the propagation vary depending on the excited mode. In addition, it is found that a mode with a dominant counterclockwise-rotation component drives much faster propagation of the skyrmion crystal than the previously studied breathing mode. Our findings enable us to perform efficient manipulation of skyrmions in nanometer-scale devices or in magnetic materials with strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy such as GaV$_4$S$_4$ and GaV$_4$Se$_4$, using microwave irradiation.