  Skyrmions are topological structures characterized by a winding vectorial
configuration that provides a quantized topological charge. In magnetic
materials, skyrmions are localized spin textures that exhibit unique stability
and mobility properties, making them highly relevant to the burgeoning field of
spintronics. In optics, these structures open new frontiers in manipulating and
controlling light at the nanoscale. The convergence of optics and magnetics
holds therefore immense potential for manipulating magnetic processes at
ultrafast timescales. Here, we explore the possibility of generating skyrmionic
topological structures within the magnetic field induced by the inverse Faraday
effect in a plasmonic nanostructure. Our investigation reveals that a gold
nanoring, featuring a dark mode, can generate counter-propagating photocurrents
between its inner and outer segments, thereby enabling the magnetization of
gold and supporting a skyrmionic vectorial distribution. We elucidate that
these photocurrents arise from the localized control of light polarization,
facilitating their counter-propagative motion. The generation of skyrmions
through the inverse Faraday effect at the nanoscale presents a pathway towards
directly integrating this topology into magnetic layers. This advancement holds
promise for ultrafast timescales, offering direct applications in ultrafast
data writing and processing.
