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Skyrmions are twirling magnetic textures whose non-trivial topology leads toparticle-like properties promising for information technology applications.Perhaps the most important aspect of interacting particles is their ability toform thermodynamically distinct phases from gases and liquids to crystallinesolids. Dilute gases of skyrmions have been realized in artificial multilayers,and solid crystalline skyrmion lattices have been observed in bulk skyrmionhosting materials. Yet, to date melting of the skyrmion lattice into a skyrmionliquid has not been reported experimentally. Through direct imaging withcryo-Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate that the skyrmionlattice in the material Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$ can be dynamically melted. Remarkably,we discover this melting process to be a topological defects mediated two-steptransition via a theoretically hypothesized hexatic phase to the liquid phase.The existence of hexatic and liquid phases instead of a simple fading of thelocal magnetic moments upon thermal excitations implies that even in bulkmaterials skyrmions possess considerable particle nature, which is apre-requisite for application schemes.

Melting a skyrmion lattice topologically: through the hexatic phase to a skyrmion liquid