Graph Learning and Order Parameters Reveal a Solid‐to‐Conformal Phase Transition in Skyrmion Lattices
ABSTRACT Order‐to‐disorder transitions in skyrmion lattices have been explored under spatially uniform stimuli, such as thermal or magnetic fields, which are significant for controlling collective skyrmion behavior for spintronic applications. However, under directional driving by an electric current, how the order of a skyrmion lattice evolves beyond melting into a liquid remains unclear. Here we show that a current‐driven skyrmion lattice does not enter a disordered phase, but instead undergoes a solid‐to‐conformal phase transition with periodically modulated local orientation, using in situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (L‐TEM). Unsupervised graph learning, combined with complementary structural order parameters, enables direct real‐time tracking of the lattice reordering. Correlation between orientational order and defect evolution reveals that the transition is mediated by transient dislocation proliferation during the development of the ordered state. These results establish a current‐induced order‐to‐order skyrmion transition and uncover conformal ordering as a distinct nonequilibrium structural state in topological particle assemblies.
Authors
- Qing-Fa Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7387-2959)
- Guoping Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3327-9445)
- Guangrui Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6559-9136)
- Wenkun Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2813-6976)
- Yanglong Hou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0579-4594)
- Jie Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4801-7162)
- Licong Peng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8580-2285)
- Shaohua Fan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4689-0252)
- Haoting Lu
- Shangrun Lu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6716-9916)
Institutions
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Ministry of Education (RW)
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Chengdu Normal University (CN)
- Sichuan Normal University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2026-10-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.78928
- Primary Topic
- Magnetic properties of thin films
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00