Toggle-switch-like crossover between two types of isolated skyrmions within the conical phase of cubic helimagnets

Abstract: We investigate the field-induced crossover between two types of isolated skyrmions that exist within the conical phase of cubic helimagnets and orient themselves either along or perpendicular to the field. Such a crossover takes place for the same value of the field, at which the closely packed skyrmion lattice was predicted to stabilize in the A-phase region. The clusters and a skyrmion lattice comprised by the skyrmions perpendicular to the field, however, are unfavorable and lose their stability as compared with the skyrmions parallel to the field. We also followed transformation of perpendicular skyrmions into pairs of merons that rupture the helical state. An attractive interactions between different types of isolated skyrmions make it feasible to construct complex cluster states with the cubic arrangement of skyrmions.