Strain gradient driven rectilinear motion of magnetic hopfions
Phys. Rev. B 113, 184419 – Published 6 May, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/hpg4-6ncr
Abstract
Hopfions, as three-dimensional topological solitons, have recently attracted extensive interest due to their unique properties and potential applications in spintronic devices. While the dynamics of magnetic hopfions under electrical and magnetic stimuli have been well established, their behavior in response to mechanical excitation remains elusive. In this paper, we demonstrate numerically and analytically that magnetic hopfions undergo rectilinear motion in chiral magnetic trilayers when subjected to a strain gradient. To identify the strain range under which hopfions remain stable during motion, a phase diagram of strain versus the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is constructed. When a strain gradient is applied within the identified strain range, the hopfion moves sustainably along the gradient direction without exhibiting a Hall effect. Moreover, the hopfion velocity can be effectively tuned by adjusting the strain gradient, magnetic damping, and intrinsic magnetoelastic parameters. This work demonstrates an energy-efficient approach to manipulating magnetic hopfions and establishes a theoretical foundation for the mechanical control of three-dimensional magnetic solitons.
