A great interest is now focused on physics of magnetic skyrmions and other chiral spin textures. These objects combine a promising applicability (e.g. via race-track memory devices), with a rich fundamental physics driven by the chiral nature of spatial spin pattern. The spin chirality opens up a number of novel solid state phenomena, such as the topological Hall effect. In this work we have theoretically demonstrated that a chiral spin order of the electron gas in magnetic systems is universally induced by an inhomogeneity of the electrostatic potential. We argue that various structural defects, such as ionized impurities, surface imperfections, or built-in electric fields act as a local source of electron chiral spin ordering. Using the linear-response theory we have calculated the spin-density correlation functions and have shown the emergence of chiral spin response upon the variation of the electrostatic potential. For instance, a single short-range impurity appears to be surrounded by an excessive electron spin density of chiral skyrmion-like character. The characteristic size of the emerging texture is determined by the Fermi wavevector, while going away from the center the spin density decays exhibiting Friedel oscillations. The considered mechanism is more effective the stronger is the spin-orbit interaction in carrier spectrum. Thus we believe that the rise of chiral spin pattern due to structural disorder is of high relevance for the intensively studied magnetic Rashba layers, surface of 3D Topological Insulators and dilute magnetic semiconductor quantum wells.

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Konstantin Denisov and Igor Rozhansky, "Formation of chiral spin textures due to an electrostatic disorder in systems with spin-orbit interaction (Conference Presentation)," Proc. SPIE 11090, Spintronics XII, 1109010 (Presented at SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering: August 12, 2019; Published: 10 September 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2529108.6083793039001.