Skyrmion Crystal from RKKY Interaction Mediated by 2D Electron Gas

We consider a C6 invariant lattice of magnetic moments coupled via a Kondo exchange J with a 2D electron gas (2DEG). The effective Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction between the moments stabilizes a magnetic skyrmion crystal in the presence of magnetic field and easy-axis anisotropy. An attractive aspect of this mechanism is that the magnitude of the magnetic ordering wave vectors, Qν (ν=1, 2, 3), is dictated by the Fermi wave number kF: |Qν|=2kF. Consequently, the topological contribution to the Hall conductivity of the 2DEG becomes of the order of the quantized value, e2/h, when J is comparable to the Fermi energy ϵF.