Variational framework for chiral skyrmions

Chiral skyrmions are topological solitons occurring in magnets without inversion symmetry. In this talk I shall explain the analytic structure and geometric realization of chiral interactions, responsible for the occurrence of new magnetic phases in the spirit of Ginzburg-Landau, and for the stabilization of excited states in form of isolated magnetic skyrmions. If time permits I shall also discuss dynamic aspects such as the loss of symmetry and emergent spin-orbit coupling in the framework of the governing Landau-Lifshitz equation.