Growth and characterization of Bi(110)/CrTe2 heterostructures: Exploring interplay between magnetism and topology

Abstract

The interplay between topology and magnetism is vital for realizing exotic quantum phenomena, significant examples including quantum anomalous Hall effect, axion insulators, and high-order topological states. These states host great potential for future applications in high-speed and low-consumption electronic devices. Despite being extensively investigated, practical platforms are still scarce. In this work, with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), we provide the first experimental report on high-quality Bi(110)/CrTe2 magnetic heterostructure. By employing in-situ high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy, we are able to examine the interaction between magnetism and topology. There is a potential edge state at an energy level above the Fermi level, but no edge states observed near the Fermi level The absence of high-order topological corner states near E F highlights the importance of lattice matching and interface engineering in designing high-order topological states. Our study provides key insights into the interplay between two-dimensional magnetic and topological materials and offers an important dimension for engineering magnetic topological states.