Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulator Research Articles

Resonant exchange of Chiral Majorana Fermions modulated by two parallel quantum dots.

Resonant exchange of the chiral Majorana fermions (MFs) that is coupled to two parallel Majorana zero
modes (MZMs) or two parallel quantum dots (QDs) is investigated. We find that, in the two QDs coupling
case, the resonant exchange for the chiral MFs is analogous to that in the MZM coupling case. We further
propose a circuit based on topological superconductor (TSC), which is formed by the proximity coupling of
a quantum anomalous Hall insulator (QAHI) and a s-wave superconductor, to observe the resonant exchange
of chiral MFs pairs. The numerical calculations show that the resonant transmission of the chiral MFs can be
adjusted by varying the coupling parameters. It is particularly noteworthy that, by only modulating the coupling
strength between the two QDs, the resonant exchange may be switched on or off. By adding another MZM, the
non-Abelian braidinglike operation can be realized. Therefore, our design scheme may provide another way for
non-Abelian braiding operation of MFs and the findings may have potential application value in the realization
of topological quantum computers.

Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect with Tunable Chern Numbers in High-Temperature 1T-PrN2 Monolayer

Quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators have highly potential applications in spintronic device. However, available candidates with tunable Chern numbers and high working temperature are quite rare. Here, we predict a 1T-PrN2 monolayer as a stable QAH insulator with high magnetic transition temperature of above 600 K and tunable high Chern numbers of C = ±3 from first-principles calculations. Without spin-orbit coupling (SOC), the 1T-PrN2 monolayer is predicted to be a p-state Dirac half metal with high Fermi velocity. Rich topological phases depending on magnetization directions can be found when the SOC is considered. The QAH effect with periodical changes of Chern number (±1) can be produced when the magnetic moment breaks all twofold rotational symmetries in the xy plane. The critical state can be identified as Weyl half semimetals. When the magnetization direction is parallel to the z-axis, the system exhibits high Chern number QAH effect with C = ±3. Our work provides a new material for exploring novel QAH effect and developing high-performance topological devices.

Topology-Engineered Orbital Hall Effect in Two-Dimensional Ferromagnets.

Recent advances in the manipulation of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) within the paradigm of orbitronics presents a promising avenue for the design of future electronic devices. In this context, the recently observed orbital Hall effect (OHE) occupies a special place. Here, focusing on both the second-order topological and quantum anomalous Hall insulators in two-dimensional ferromagnets, we demonstrate that topological phase transitions present an efficient and straightforward way to engineer the OHE, where the OAM distribution can be controlled by the nature of the band inversion. Using first-principles calculations, we identify Janus RuBrCl and three septuple layers of MnBi2Te4 as experimentally feasible examples of the proposed mechanism of OHE engineering by topology. With our work, we open up new possibilities for innovative applications in topological spintronics and orbitronics.

Imaging the Breakdown and Restoration of Topological Protection in Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2 Te4.

Quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators transport charge without resistance along topologically protected chiral 1D edge states. Yet, in magnetic topological insulators to date, topological protection is far from robust, with zero-magnetic field QAH effect only realized at temperatures an order of magnitude below the Néel temperature TN , though small magnetic fields can stabilize QAH effect. Understanding why topological protection breaks down is therefore essential to realizing QAH effect at higher temperatures. Here a scanning tunneling microscope is used to directly map the size of exchange gap (Eg,ex ) and its spatial fluctuation in the QAH insulator 5-layer MnBi2 Te4 . Long-range fluctuations of Eg,ex are observed, with values ranging between 0 (gapless) and 70 meV, appearing to be uncorrelated to individual surface point defects. The breakdown of topological protection is directly imaged, showing that the gapless edge state, the hallmark signature of a QAH insulator, hybridizes with extended gapless regions in the bulk. Finally, it is unambiguously demonstrated that the gapless regions originate from magnetic disorder, by demonstrating that a small magnetic field restores Eg,ex in these regions, explaining the recovery of topological protection in magnetic fields. The results indicate that overcoming magnetic disorder is the key to exploiting the unique properties of QAH insulators.

Manipulation of chiral interface states in a moiré quantum anomalous Hall insulator

Manipulation of chiral interface states in a moiré quantum anomalous Hall insulator

Monolayer V_{2}MX_{4}: A New Family of Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulators.

We theoretically propose that the van der Waals layered ternary transition metal chalcogenide V_{2}MX_{4} (M=W, Mo; X=S, Se) is a new family of quantum anomalous Hall insulators with sizable bulk gap and Chern number C=-1. The large topological gap originates from the deep band inversion between spin-up bands contributed by d_{xz}, d_{yz} orbitals of V and spin-down band from d_{z^{2}} orbital of M at the Fermi level. Remarkably, the Curie temperature of monolayer V_{2}MX_{4} is predicted to be much higher than that of monolayer MnBi_{2}Te_{4}. Furthermore, the thickness dependence of the Chern number for few multilayers shows interesting oscillating behavior. The general physics from the d orbitals here applies to a large class of ternary transition metal chalcogenide such as Ti_{2}WX_{4} with the space group P-42m. These interesting predictions, if realized experimentally, could greatly promote the research and application of topological quantum physics.

A new 2D Janus family with multiple properties: auxetic behavior, straintunable photocatalyst, high Curie temperature ferromagnets, and piezoelectric quantum anomalous Hall insulator

A new 2D Janus family with multiple properties: auxetic behavior, straintunable photocatalyst, high Curie temperature ferromagnets, and piezoelectric quantum anomalous Hall insulator

Evolution from quantum anomalous Hall insulator to heavy-fermion semimetal in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene

Evolution from quantum anomalous Hall insulator to heavy-fermion semimetal in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene

Magnetization direction-controlled topological band structure in TlTiX (X = Si, Ge) monolayers

The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulator is a vital material for the investigation of emerging topological quantum effects, but its extremely low working temperature limits experiments. Apart from the temperature challenge, effective regulation of the topological state of QAH insulators is another crucial concern. Here, by first-principles calculations, we find a family of stable two-dimensional materials TlTiX (X = Si, Ge) are large-gap QAH insulators. Their extremely robust ferromagnetic (FM) ground states are determined by both the direct- and super-exchange FM coupling. In the absence of spin–orbit coupling (SOC), there exist a spin-polarized crossing point located at each K and Kʹ points, respectively. The SOC effect results in the spontaneous breaking of C 2 symmetry and introduces a mass term, giving rise to a QAH state with sizable band gap. The tiny magnetocrystalline anisotropic energy (MAE) implies that an external magnetic field can be easily used to align magnetization deviating from z direction to the x–y plane, thereby leading to a transformation of the electronic state from the QAH state to the Weyl half semimetals state, which indicate monolayers TlTiX (X = Si, Ge) exhibit a giant magneto topological band effect. Finally, we examined the impact of stress on the band gap and MAE, which underlies the reasons for the giant magneto topological band effect attributed to the crystal field. These findings present novel prospects for the realization of large-gap QAH states with the characteristic of easily modifiable topological states.

Phonon and defect mediated quantum anomalous Hall insulator to metal transition in magnetically doped topological insulators

Phonon and defect mediated quantum anomalous Hall insulator to metal transition in magnetically doped topological insulators

Orbital-Selectivity-Induced Robust Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Hund's Metals MgFeP.

Ferromagnetic (FM) states with high Curie temperatures (Tc) and strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) are indispensable for the long-sought room-temperature quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effects. Here, we propose a two-dimensional (2D) iron-based monolayer MgFeP that exhibits a notably high FM Tc (about 1525 K) along with exceptional structural stabilities. The unique multiorbital nature in MgFeP, where localized and dxz/yz orbitals coexist with itinerant dxy and dz2 orbitals, renders the monolayer a Hund's metal and in an orbital-selective Mott phase (OSMP). This OSMP triggers an FM double exchange mechanism, rationalizing the high Tc in the Hund's metal. This material transitions to a QAH insulator upon consideration of the SOC effect. By leveraging orbital selectivity, the QAH band gap can be enlarged by more than two times (to 137 meV). Our findings showcase Hund's metals as a promising material platform for realizing high-performance quantum topological electronic devices.

Doping induced multiferroicity and quantum anomalous Hall effect in α-In2Se3 thin films

In flatband materials, the strong Coulomb interaction between electrons can lead to exotic physical phenomena. Recently, α-In2Se3 thin films were found to possess ferroelectricity and flat bands. In this work, using first-principles calculations, we find that for the monolayer, there is a Weyl point at Γ in the flatband, where the inclusion of the spin–orbit coupling opens a gap. Shifting the Fermi level into the spin–orbit gap gives rise to nontrivial band topology, which is preserved for the bilayer regardless of the interlayer polarization couplings. We further calculate the Chern number and edge states for both the monolayer and bilayer, for which the results suggest that they become quantum anomalous Hall insulators under appropriate dopings. Moreover, we find that the doping-induced magnetism for the In2Se3 bilayer is strongly dependent on the interlayer polarization coupling. Therefore, doping the flat bands in In2Se3 bilayer can also yield multiferroicity, where the magnetism is electrically tunable as the system transforms between different polarization states. Our study, thus, reveals that multiferroicity and nontrivial band topology can be unified into one material for designing multifunctional electronic devices.

Excellent intrinsic Chern insulators: monolayer PdTaX2 (X = Se, Te)

An excellent intrinsic Chern insulator with high Tc and sizable bulk gap.

Phase Separation Prevents the Synthesis of VBi2Te4 by Molecular Beam Epitaxy.

Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (IMTIs) have a non-trivial band topology in combination with magnetic order. This potentially leads to fascinating states of matter, such as quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators and axion insulators. One of the theoretically predicted IMTIs is VBi2Te4, but experimental evidence of this material is lacking so far. Here, we report on our attempts to synthesise VBi2Te4 by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). X-ray diffraction reveals that in the thermodynamic phase space reachable by MBE, there is no region where VBi2Te4 is stably synthesised. Moreover, scanning transmission electron microscopy shows a clear phase separation to Bi2Te3 and VTe2 instead of the formation of VBi2Te4. We suggest the phase instability to be due to either the large lattice mismatch between VTe2 and Bi2Te3 or the unfavourable valence state of vanadium.

3DQuantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Magnetic Topological Insulator Trilayers of Hundred-Nanometer Thickness.

Magnetic topological states refer to a class of exotic phases in magnetic materials with the non-trivial topological property determined by magnetic spin configurations. An example of such states is the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state, which is a zero magnetic field manifestation of the quantum Hall effect. Current research in this direction focuses on QAH insulators with a thickness of less than 10nm. Here, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is employed to synthesize magnetic TI trilayers with a thickness of up to ≈106nm. It is found that these samples exhibit well-quantized Hall resistance and vanishing longitudinal resistance at zero magnetic field. By varying the magnetic dopants, gate voltages, temperature, and external magnetic fields, the properties of these thick QAH insulators are examined and the robustness of the 3D QAH effect is demonstrated. The realization of the well-quantized 3D QAH effect indicates that the nonchiral side surface states of the thick magnetic TI trilayers are gapped and thus do not affect the QAH quantization. The 3D QAH insulators of hundred-nanometer thickness provide a promising platform for the exploration of fundamental physics, including axion physics and image magnetic monopole, and the advancement of electronic and spintronic devices to circumvent Moore's law.

Gate-electric-field and magnetic-field control of versatile topological phases in a semi-magnetic topological insulator

Surface states of a topological insulator demonstrate interesting quantum phenomena, such as the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect and the quantum magnetoelectric effect. Fermi energy tuning plays a role in inducing phase transitions and developing future device functions. Here, we report on controlling the topological phases in a dual-gate field-effect transistor of a semi-magnetic topological insulator heterostructure. The heterostructure consists of magnetized one-surface and non-magnetic other-surface. By tuning the Fermi energy to the energy gap of the magnetized surface, the Hall conductivity σxy becomes close to the half-integer quantized Hall conductivity e2/2h, exemplifying parity anomaly. The dual-gate control enables the band structure alignment to the two quantum Hall states with σxy = e2/h and 0 under a strong magnetic field. These states are topologically equivalent to the QAH and axion insulator states, respectively. Precise and independent control of the band alignment of the top and bottom surfaces successively induces various topological phase transitions among the QAH, axion insulator, and parity anomaly states in magnetic topological insulators.

Possible way to achieve valley-polarized quantum anomalous Hall insulator

The valley-polarized quantum anomalous Hall insulator (VQAHI), which combines valleytronics and topology in one material, provides a path toward integrating valleytronics, topological quantum effects, and spintronics. Here, we propose a way of realizing VQAHIs in tetragonal quantum anomalous Hall insulators (QAHIs) by introducing valley polarization, which can be achieved by breaking C4 rotational symmetry. We use a concrete example of a QAHI Fe2I2 monolayer, where there are equivalent valleys along the Γ-X and Γ-Y lines in momentum space, to illustrate our proposal through first-principle calculations. By applying uniaxial strain along the x direction, the rotational symmetry C4 is reduced into C2, which induces valley polarization. With uniaxial strain from a compressive one to a tensile one, valley polarization transition can be induced. Moreover, the nonzero Berry curvature around valleys can produce the anomalous valley Hall effect. With the considered strain range, the quantum anomalous Hall properties can be maintained. Therefore, a VQAHI can be realized in strained Fe2I2. Our works propose an experimentally feasible way to realize valley polarization and VQAHIs.

Electrical switching of the edge current chirality in quantum anomalous Hall insulators.

A quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulator is a topological phase in which the interior is insulating but electrical current flows along the edges of the sample in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, as dictated by the spontaneous magnetization orientation. Such a chiral edge current eliminates any backscattering, giving rise to quantized Hall resistance and zero longitudinal resistance. Here we fabricate mesoscopic QAH sandwich Hall bar devices and succeed in switching the edge current chirality through thermally assisted spin-orbit torque (SOT). The well-quantized QAH states before and after SOT switching with opposite edge current chiralities are demonstrated through four- and three-terminal measurements. We show that the SOT responsible for magnetization switching can be generated by both surface and bulk carriers. Our results further our understanding of the interplay between magnetism and topological states and usher in an easy and instantaneous method to manipulate the QAH state.

Chern number transition of quantum anomalous hall phases in kagome TM3Te4 (TM = Ti, Cr) monolayers by manipulating magnetization orientation

The development of quantum anomalous hall (QAH) insulator with high transition temperature is the key to realize practical applications in future quantum technology and spintronics. Here, we predicted two stable two-dimensional kagome structures, Ti3Te4 and Cr3Te4, and found that both of them are intrinsic QAH insulators, using density functional theory calculations. In the absence of spin–orbit coupling (SOC), both systems display ferromagnetism (FM) Weyl semimetal states. Remarkably, Ti3Te4 monolayer is revealed to be a robust ferromagnetic half metal with high Curie temperature (TC) of 403 K. When the SOC effect occurs, it spontaneously creates QAH states with large nontrivial bandgap and chiral edge states. As a result, the Ti(Cr)3Te4 monolayer is changed to be QAH insulators with Chern number C = ±1 by rotation of magnetization orientation. In addition, the phase change from FM QAH insulator to antiferromagnetic insulator can be manipulated by applying external strains. Moreover, a high-Chern number phase (C = 2) arises by building Ti3Te4/MoS2/Ti3Te4 heterostructure. Meanwhile, the topological phase transition can be well recurred by using a spinless three-band tight-binding (TB) model. The findings present ways to realize potential QAH insulators with high transition temperatures.

Chern-Insulator Phase in Antiferromagnets.

The long-sought Chern insulators that manifest a quantum anomalous Hall effect are typically considered to occur in ferromagnets. Here, we theoretically predict the realizabilities of Chern insulators in antiferromagnets, in which the magnetic sublattices are connected by symmetry operators enforcing zero net magnetic moment. Our symmetry analysis provides comprehensive magnetic layer point groups that allow antiferromagnetic (AFM) Chern insulators, revealing that an in-plane magnetic configuration is required. Followed by first-principles calculations, such design principles naturally lead to two categories of material candidates, exemplified by monolayer RbCr4S8 and bilayer Mn3Sn with collinear and noncollinear AFM orders, respectively. We further show that the Chern number could be tuned by slight ferromagnetic canting as an effective pivot. Our work elucidates the nature of the Chern-insulator phase in AFM systems, paving a new avenue for designing quantum anomalous Hall insulators with the integration of nondissipative transport and the promising advantages of the AFM order.