Optical skyrmion and its ‘zipper-like’ topological behavior in an energy flux field

The optical skyrmion and its topological behavior are analyzed in an energy flux field constructed by an X-type vortex in a high numerical aperture system. The conditions for the formation of a skyrmion structure in this field are discussed, showing that the vortex pattern of the transverse energy flow and the inverse energy flow are crucial for the skyrmions and also are controlled by the phase gradient of the X-type vortex. Notably, the “zipper-like” topological reaction, which is the first, to our knowledge, found in ferromagnetic materials, is observed, and the physical mechanism is also explained by the relation of orbital angular momentum density and Poynting vectors. The results will reach the topological theory and may have applications in optical traps and data storage.