Building Paraxial Optical Skyrmions Using Rational Maps

Optical paraxial skyrmions are associated with simple rational maps, which can be derived entirely from their topological structure. Such maps, used as seeds for experimental realizations, outline the rules for generating isolated skyrmions or multi-skyrmions and lay the mathematical foundation for the exploration of skyrmion nucleation and annihilation mechanisms in optics. More details can be found in article number 2200350 by Claire Cisowski, Calum Ross, and Sonja Franke-Arnold. Image credit: Claire Cisowski.