The mechanism exploration for zero-field ferromagnetism in intrinsic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 by Bi2Te3 intercalations

Abstract

Recent research on intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (MTIs), MnBi2Te4, sheds new light on the observation of a long-expected high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). However, the strong interlayered anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) coupling hinders the practical applications without applying a magnetic field. Thus, how to adjust the magnetism of this compound under zero field is essential. Here, we theoretically and experimentally study the magnetic properties of two new promising intrinsic MTI candidates MnBi4Te7 and MnBi6Te10, formed by intercalating the Bi2Te3 layer into MnBi2Te4. The first-principles calculations reveal that the relative energy between ferromagnetic (FM) and AFM states is greatly reduced by Bi2Te3 intercalations. The calculated energy barriers for the spin flipping process also point out that the metastable FM state is more easily retained by intercalation. Meanwhile, we also experimentally carry out magnetic and transport measurements on these materials. By increasing Bi2Te3 intercalations, the AFM coupling becomes weaker, and an almost fully polarized FM state can be preserved in MnBi6Te10 at low temperatures, which are consistent with our calculations. We believe that the demonstration of the intrinsic MTI preserving zero-field FM state and the in-depth investigation for the mechanism behind pave the way for investigating the high-temperature QAHE and the related physics.