AI Chat Paper
Note: Please note that the following content is generated by AMiner AI. SciOpen does not take any responsibility related to this content.
{{lang === 'zh_CN' ? '文章概述' : 'Summary'}}
{{lang === 'en_US' ? '中' : 'Eng'}}
Chat more with AI
Powered by AMiner. Clicking this button will take you away from SciOpen.
Home Nano Research Article
Article Link
Cite
EndNote(RIS) BibTeX
Collect
Submit Manuscript
Show Outline
Outline
Show full outline
Hide outline
Outline
Show full outline
Hide outline
Research Article

Spin-flop transition and Zeeman effect of defect-localized bound states in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4

Guojian Qian1,§, Mengzhu Shi3,§, Hui Chen1,2,§( ), Shiyu Zhu1, Jiawei Hu1, Zihao Huang1, Yuan Huang4, Xian-Hui Chen3, Hong-Jun Gao1,2( )
Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan 523808, China
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and Department of Physics, and Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Strongly-Coupled Quantum Matter Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China

§ Guojian Qian, Mengzhu Shi, and Hui Chen contributed equally to this work.

Show Author Information

Graphical Abstract

A bound state localized around Mn-Bi antisite is observed by scanning tunneling microscope. Remarkably, the bound state shows the spin-flop transition and Zeeman effect at magnetic fields perpendicular to the sample surface. The Zeeman effect demonstrates the magnetic moment of the intrinsic Mn-Bi antisite defect, while the spin-flop transition indicates that the defect state correlates to the magnetic surface state of bulk MnBi2Te4.

Abstract

The correlation of surface impurity states with the antiferromagnetic ground states is crucial for understanding the formation of the topological surface state in the antiferromagnetic topological insulators MnBi2Te4. By using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we observed a localized bound state around the Mn-Bi antisite defect at the Te-terminated surface of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. When applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the surface (Bz) from –1.5 to 3.0 T, the bound state shifts linearly to a lower energy with increasing Bz, which is attributed to the Zeeman effect. Remarkably, when applying a large range of Bz from –8.0 to 8.0 T, the magnetic field induced reorientation of surface magnetic moments results in an abrupt jump in the local density of states (LDOS), which is characterized by LDOS-change-ratio dσ~/dB quantitatively. Interestingly, two asymmetric critical field, –2.0 and 4.0 T determined by the two peaks in dσ~/dB are observed, which is consistent with simulated results according to a Mills-model, describing a surface spin flop transition (SSF). Our results provide a new flatform for studying the interplay between magnetic order and topological phases in magnetic topological materials.

Keywords

antiferromagnetic topological insulatorsMnBi2Te4scanning tunneling microscopeMills modelsurface spin flop transition

Electronic Supplementary Material

Download File(s)
12274_2022_4685_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (631.6 KB)

References

[1]

Tokura, Y.; Yasuda, K.; Tsukazaki, A. Magnetic topological insulators. Nat. Rev. Phys. 2019, 1, 126–143.
Crossref Google Scholar
[2]

Li, J. H.; Li, Y.; Du, S. Q.; Wang, Z.; Gu, B. L.; Zhang, S. C.; He, K.; Duan, W. H.; Xu, Y. Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators in van der Waals layered MnBi2Te4-family materials. Sci. Adv. 2019, 5, eaaw5685.
Crossref Google Scholar
[3]

Otrokov, M. M.; Klimovskikh, I. I.; Bentmann, H.; Estyunin, D.; Zeugner, A.; Aliev, Z. S.; Gaß, S.; Wolter, A. U. B.; Koroleva, A. V.; Shikin, A. M. et al. Prediction and observation of an antiferromagnetic topological insulator. Nature 2019, 576, 416–422.
Crossref Google Scholar
[4]

Yan, J. Q.; Zhang, Q.; Heitmann, T.; Huang, Z. L.; Chen, K. Y.; Cheng, J. G.; Wu, W. D.; Vaknin, D.; Sales, B. C.; McQueeney, R. J. Crystal growth and magnetic structure of MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. Mater. 2019, 3, 064202.
Crossref Google Scholar
[5]

Rienks, E. D. L.; Wimmer, S.; Sánchez-Barriga, J.; Caha, O.; Mandal, P. S.; Růžička, J.; Ney, A.; Steiner, H.; Volobuev, V. V.; Groiss, H. et al. Large magnetic gap at the Dirac point in Bi2Te3/MnBi2Te4 heterostructures. Nature 2019, 576, 423–428.
Crossref Google Scholar
[6]

Lee, D. S.; Kim, T. H.; Park, C. H.; Chung, C. Y.; Lim, Y. S.; Seo, W. S.; Park, H. H. Crystal structure, properties and nanostructuring of a new layered chalcogenide semiconductor, Bi2MnTe4. CrystEngComm 2013, 15, 5532–5538.
Crossref Google Scholar
[7]

Zhang, D. Q.; Shi, M. J.; Zhu, T. S.; Xing, D. Y.; Zhang, H. J.; Wang, J. Topological axion states in the magnetic insulator MnBi2Te4 with the quantized magnetoelectric effect. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2019, 122, 206401.
Crossref Google Scholar
[8]

Mong, R. S. K.; Essin, A. M.; Moore, J. E. Antiferromagnetic topological insulators. Phys. Rev. B 2010, 81, 245209.
Crossref Google Scholar
[9]

Fang, C.; Gilbert, M. J.; Bernevig, B. A. Topological insulators with commensurate antiferromagnetism. Phys. Rev. B 2013, 88, 085406.
Crossref Google Scholar
[10]

Otrokov, M. M.; Rusinov, I. P.; Blanco-Rey, M.; Hoffmann, M.; Vyazovskaya, A. Y.; Eremeev, S. V.; Ernst, A.; Echenique, P. M.; Arnau, A.; Chulkov, E. V. Unique thickness-dependent properties of the van der Waals interlayer antiferromagnet MnBi2Te4 films. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2019, 122, 107202.
Crossref Google Scholar
[11]

Shikin, A. M.; Estyunin, D. A.; Zaitsev, N. L.; Glazkova, D.; Klimovskikh, I. I.; Filnov, S. O.; Rybkin, A. G.; Schwier, E. F.; Kumar, S.; Kimura, A. et al. Sample-dependent Dirac-point gap in MnBi2Te4 and its response to applied surface charge: A combined photoemission and ab initio study. Phys. Rev. B 2021, 104, 115168.
Crossref Google Scholar
[12]

Qi, X. L.; Zhang, S. C. Topological insulators and superconductors. Rev. Mod. Phys. 2011, 83, 1057–1110.
Crossref Google Scholar
[13]

He, K. MnBi2Te4-family intrinsic magnetic topological materials. npj Quantum Mater. 2020, 5, 90.
Crossref Google Scholar
[14]

Qi, X. L.; Hughes, T. L.; Zhang, S. C. Topological field theory of time-reversal invariant insulators. Phys. Rev. B 2008, 78, 195424.
Crossref Google Scholar
[15]

Wilczek, F. Two applications of axion electrodynamics. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1987, 58, 1799–1802.
Crossref Google Scholar
[16]

Essin, A. M.; Moore, J. E.; Vanderbilt, D. Magnetoelectric polarizability and axion electrodynamics in crystalline insulators. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2009, 102, 146805.
Crossref Google Scholar
[17]

Liu, C. X.; Zhang, S. C.; Qi, X. L. The quantum anomalous hall effect: Theory and experiment. Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 2016, 7, 301–321.
Crossref Google Scholar
[18]

Yu, R.; Zhang, W.; Zhang, H. J.; Zhang, S. C.; Dai, X.; Fang, Z. Quantized anomalous hall effect in magnetic topological insulators. Science 2010, 329, 61–64.
Crossref Google Scholar
[19]

Deng, Y. J.; Yu, Y. J.; Shi, M. Z.; Guo, Z. X.; Xu, Z. H.; Wang, J.; Chen, X. H.; Zhang, Y. B. Quantum anomalous hall effect in intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Science 2020, 367, 895–900.
Crossref Google Scholar
[20]

Liu, C.; Wang, Y. C.; Li, H.; Wu, Y.; Li, Y. X.; Li, J. H.; He, K.; Xu, Y.; Zhang, J. S.; Wang, Y. Y. Robust Axion insulator and Chern insulator phases in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic topological insulator. Nat. Mater. 2020, 19, 522–527.
Crossref Google Scholar
[21]

Ge, J.; Liu, Y. Z.; Li, J. H.; Li, H.; Luo, T. C.; Wu, Y.; Xu, Y.; Wang, J. High-Chern-number and high-temperature quantum hall effect without landau levels. Natl. Sci. Rev. 2020, 7, 1280–1287.
Crossref Google Scholar
[22]

Li, J. H.; Wang, C.; Zhang, Z. T.; Gu, B. L.; Duan, W. H.; Xu, Y. Magnetically controllable topological quantum phase transitions in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. B 2019, 100, 121103.
Crossref Google Scholar
[23]

Klimovskikh, I. I.; Otrokov, M. M.; Estyunin, D.; Eremeev, S. V.; Filnov, S. O.; Koroleva, A.; Shevchenko, E.; Voroshnin, V.; Rybkin, A. G.; Rusinov, I. P. et al. Tunable 3D/2D magnetism in the (MnBi2Te4) (Bi2Te3)m topological insulators family. npj Quantum Mater. 2020, 5, 54.
Crossref Google Scholar
[24]

Lee, S. H.; Graf, D.; Min, L. J.; Zhu, Y. L.; Yi, H. M.; Ciocys, S.; Wang, Y. X.; Choi, E. S.; Basnet, R.; Fereidouni, A. et al. Evidence for a magnetic-field-induced ideal type-II Weyl state in antiferromagnetic topological insulator Mn(Bi1−x Sbx)2Te4. Phys. Rev. X 2021, 11, 031032.
Google Scholar
[25]

Li, H.; Gao, S. Y.; Duan, S. F.; Xu, Y. F.; Zhu, K. J.; Tian, S. J.; Gao, J. C.; Fan, W. H.; Rao, Z. C.; Huang, J. R. et al. Dirac surface states in intrinsic magnetic topological insulators EuSn2As2 and MnBi2nTe3n+1. Phys. Rev. X 2019, 9, 041039.
Google Scholar
[26]

Swatek, P.; Wu, Y.; Wang, L. L.; Lee, K.; Schrunk, B.; Yan, J. Q.; Kaminski, A. Gapless Dirac surface states in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. B 2020, 101, 161109.
Crossref Google Scholar
[27]

Yan, C. H.; Sebastian F.-M.; Mei, R. B.; Lee, S. H.; Nikola P.; Rikuto F.; Yan, B. H.; Liu, C. X.; Mao, Z. Q.; Yang, S. L. Origins of electronic bands in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. B 2021, 104, L041102.
Crossref Google Scholar
[28]

Hao, Y. J.; Liu, P. F.; Feng, Y.; Ma, X. M.; Schwier, E. F.; Arita, M.; Kumar, S.; Hu, C. W.; Lu, R.; Zeng, M. et al. Gapless surface Dirac cone in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. X 2019, 9, 041038.
Google Scholar
[29]

Chen, Y. J.; Xu, L. X.; Li, J. H.; Li, Y. W.; Wang, H. Y.; Zhang, C. F.; Li, H.; Wu, Y.; Liang, A. J.; Chen, C. et al. Topological electronic structure and its temperature evolution in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. X 2019, 9, 041040.
Google Scholar
[30]

Wu, X. F.; Li, J. Y.; Ma, X. M.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, Y. T.; Zhou, C. S.; Shao, J. F.; Wang, Q. M.; Hao, Y. J.; Feng, Y. et al. Distinct topological surface states on the two terminations of MnBi4Te7. Phys. Rev. X 2020, 10, 031013.
Google Scholar
[31]

Yuan, Y. H.; Wang, X. T.; Li, H.; Li, J. H.; Ji, Y.; Hao, Z. Q.; Wu, Y.; He, K.; Wang, Y. Y.; Xu, Y. et al. Electronic states and magnetic response of MnBi2Te4 by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Nano Lett. 2020, 20, 3271–3277.
Crossref Google Scholar
[32]
Liang, Z. W. ; Luo, A. Y. ; Shi, M. Z. ; Zhang, Q. ; Nie, S. M. ; Ying, J. J. ; He, J. F. ; Wu, T. ; Wang, Z. J. ; Xu, G. et al. Mapping Dirac fermions in the intrinsic antiferromagnetic topological insulators (MnBi2Te4) (Bi2Te3)n (n = 0, 1). Phys. Rev. B 2020, 102, 161115(R).
[33]

Ko, W.; Kolmer, M.; Yan, J. Q.; Pham, A. D.; Fu, M. M.; Lüpke, F.; Okamoto, S.; Gai, Z.; Ganesh, P.; Li, A. P. Realizing gapped surface states in the magnetic topological insulator MnBi2−xSbxTe4. Phys. Rev. B 2020, 102, 115402.
Crossref Google Scholar
[34]

Sass, P. M.; Ge, W. B.; Yan, J. Q.; Obeysekera, D.; Yang, J. J.; Wu, W. D. Magnetic imaging of domain walls in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Nano Lett. 2020, 20, 2609–2614.
Crossref Google Scholar
[35]

Sass, P. M.; Kim, J.; Vanderbilt, D.; Yan, J. Q.; Wu, W. D. Robust A-type order and spin-flop transition on the surface of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2020, 125, 037201.
Crossref Google Scholar
[36]

Cui, J. H.; Shi, M. Z.; Wang, H. H.; Yu, F. H.; Wu, T.; Luo, X. G.; Ying, J. J.; Chen, X. H. Transport properties of thin flakes of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. B 2019, 99, 155125.
Crossref Google Scholar
[37]

Zeugner, A.; Nietschke, F.; Wolter, A. U. B.; Gaß, S.; Vidal, R. C.; Peixoto, T. R. F.; Pohl, D.; Damm, C.; Lubk, A.; Hentrich, R. et al. Chemical aspects of the candidate antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 2795–2806.
Crossref Google Scholar
[38]

Netsou, A. M.; Muzychenko, D. A.; Dausy, H.; Chen, T. S.; Song, F. Q.; Schouteden, K.; Van Bael, M. J.; Van Haesendonck, C. Identifying native point defects in the topological insulator Bi2Te3. ACS Nano 2020, 14, 13172–13179.
Crossref Google Scholar
[39]
Huang, Z. L. ; Du, M. H. ; Yan, J. Q. ; Wu, W. D. Native defects in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Phys. Rev. Mater. 2020, 4, 121202(R).
[40]
Lee, I. ; Kim, C. K. ; Lee, J. ; Billinge, S. J. L. ; Zhong, R. D. ; Schneeloch, J. A. ; Liu, T. S. ; Valla, T. ; Tranquada, J. M. ; Gu, G. D. et al. Imaging Dirac-mass disorder from magnetic dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic topological insulator Crx(Bi0.1Sb0.9)2−xTe3. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2015, 112, 1316–1321.
[41]

Jeon, S.; Kim, S.; Kuk, Y. Zero-bias anomaly and role of electronic correlations in a disordered metal film. New J. Phys. 2020, 22, 083045.
Crossref Google Scholar
[42]

Madhavan, V.; Chen, W.; Jamneala, T.; Crommie, M. F.; Wingreen, N. S. Local spectroscopy of a Kondo impurity: Co on Au(111). Phys. Rev. B 2001, 64, 165412.
Crossref Google Scholar
[43]

Nagaoka, K.; Jamneala, T.; Grobis, M.; Crommie, M. F. Temperature dependence of a single Kondo impurity. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2002, 88, 077205.
Crossref Google Scholar
[44]

Mills, D. L. Surface spin-flop state in a simple antiferromagnet. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1968, 20, 18–21.
Crossref Google Scholar
[45]

Rößler, U. K.; Bogdanov, A. N. Reorientation in antiferromagnetic multilayers: Spin‐flop transition and surface effects. Phys. Stat. Sol. (c) 2004, 1, 3297–3305.
Crossref Google Scholar
[46]

Bogdanov, A. N.; Rößler, U. K. Magnetic-field-induced reorientation in thin antiferromagnetic films: Spin-flop transition and surface-induced twist effects. Phys. Rev. B 2003, 68, 012407.
Crossref Google Scholar
Nano Research
Volume 16 Issue 1,
January 2023
Pages 1101-1106
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-022-4685-8
Cite this article:
Qian G, Shi M, Chen H, et al. Spin-flop transition and Zeeman effect of defect-localized bound states in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. Nano Research, 2023, 16(1): 1101-1106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4685-8
Topics:
Scanning tunneling microscopy

1216

Views

9

Crossref

6

Web of Science

7

Scopus

0

CSCD

Altmetrics
Received: 24 March 2022
Revised: 28 May 2022
Accepted: 21 June 2022
Published: 10 August 2022
© Tsinghua University Press 2022
Return