Topological spin torque emerging in classical-spin systems with different time scales

Abstract

In classical spin systems with two largely different inherent time scales, the configuration of the fast spins almost instantaneously follows the slow-spin dynamics. We develop the emergent effective theory for the slow-spin degrees of freedom and demonstrate that this generally includes a topological spin torque. This torque gives rise to anomalous real-time dynamics. It derives from the holonomic constraints defining the fast-spin configuration space and is given in terms of a topological charge density which becomes a quantized homotopy invariant when integrated.

5+ pages, 2 figures, supplemental material (4 pages), v2 with minor modifications