Fig. 1: Sketches of the dipolar textures observed for merons versus skyrmions.

Schematic of Bloch-like skyrmions with (A) right-handed and (B) left-handed chiralities, both possessing a topological charge of \({N}_{{Sk}}=-1\). A common feature of both the Bloch (\(\nabla \times {{{{{\boldsymbol{P}}}}}} \,\ne\, 0,\,{N}_{{Sk}}=-1\)) and Néel (\(\nabla \cdot {{{{{\boldsymbol{P}}}}}}\ne 0,\,{N}_{{Sk}}=-1\)) skyrmions is the out-of-plane polarization rotates from maximal at the core, to maximal in the opposite direction at the periphery. Instead, the meronic phases can be characterized by a vanishing out-of-plane polarization at the periphery, and a non-zero value at the core. The in-plane component of the polarization presents a non-vanishing vorticity. In the case of a vortex, both right-handed (C), and left-handed (D) chiralities are possible, with a topological charge of \({N}_{{Sk}}=-1/2\). In the case of an antivortex, and although the total topological charge might remain invariant if we reverse the direction of the out-of-plane polarization (E), the final meron configuration is achiral.