Non-centrosymmetric magnets can host spin spiral structures. In these magnetically ordered states the tips of the magnetic moments draw a helix or a cycloid. In two dimensions whirling or hedgehog-like spin textures, so-called magnetic skyrmions can also be formed, which possess non-trivial topology.

Magnetic skyrmions were first discovered in chiral cubic helimagnets. Since then theoretical and experimental works studying bulk compounds have been mainly focused on the spin structures with helical modulation. Our group observed that in polar magnets, i.e. multiferroics spin cycloids and Néel-type skyrmions are stable. The applicant will study the modulated magnetic structures that arise in multiferroics by various experimental techniques such as magnetization and polarization measurements, neutron scattering experiments, magneto-optical and electron microscopy. Some of these experiments will be carried out in the frame of short research visits at large-scale facilities and foreign laboratories.