6.Andrey LEONOV6.主任研究員

広島大学 WPI-SKCM²
広島大学大学院 先進理工系科学研究科　准教授

leonov_at_hiroshima-u.ac.jp

Leonov’s research focuses on the theoretical investigation of topological chiral solitons, including kinks, skyrmions, and knotted hopfions, in a variety of physical systems, primarily chiral magnets and chiral liquid crystals. These solitons are particle-like field textures characterized by smooth spatial rotations of an order parameter—such as the magnetization in chiral magnets or the director field in liquid crystals—embedded within homogeneous or modulated parent states. Leonov’s research on topological solitons encompasses both fundamental and applied aspects. From the fundamental point of view, the research seeks to understand what new physical phenomena and emergent properties can arise in condensed matter systems due to nontrivial topological field configurations. To address these questions, Leonov develops theoretical models and numerical approaches to investigate the formation, stability, dynamics, and interactions of topological solitons under external stimuli such as magnetic and electric fields, electric currents, confinement, and geometrical frustration. A particular direction of this work concerns collective solitonic states. Solitons of different dimensionalities can organize into extended lattices and crystalline assemblies, forming a type of “solitonic metamatter” in which solitons behave as quasi-atoms or quasi-molecules. Such artificially engineered states may exhibit properties fundamentally different from those found in naturally occurring materials [see “Skyrmionium metamatter: A topologically heterogeneous magnetic crystal with emergent hybrid dynamics”, Physical Review Materials 10, 036001 (2026) for details]. The concepts and theoretical methods developed in this research are also relevant beyond condensed matter physics. In particular, nanoscale and microscale solitons in chiral magnets and liquid crystals provide model systems for studying nonlinear topological structures that appear in fields ranging from particle physics to cosmology. From the applied perspective, Leonov’s research aims to contribute to the development of next-generation memory and logic technologies in which information is encoded in nanoscale solitons that can be manipulated using ultra-low electric current densities. One prominent example is the skyrmion racetrack concept, where information is carried by isolated skyrmions moving along nanostructured magnetic tracks [see “Current-induced dynamics and instability pathways of skyrmioniums in chiral magnets”, J. Appl. Phys. 139, 173903 (2026) for details]. The research is inherently interdisciplinary, combining condensed-matter physics with mathematical methods from topology, homotopy theory, and knot theory. It also involves close collaboration with experimental researchers in condensed-matter physics and materials science, enabling direct comparison between theoretical predictions and experimental observations.


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