Magnetized topological insulator multilayers
Abstract
Topological insulators have Dirac cone surface states protected by time-reversal symmetry (TRS). Weak magnetic order in topological insulator thin films can lead to the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), which was first realized by magnetic doping of topological insulators to establish a fragile ferromagnetic state. Recent work has established MnBi 2 Te 4 as a structurally ordered magnetic topological insulator. We report on a theoretical study of superlattices formed from M n B i 2 T e 4 and Bi 2 Te 3 building blocks that employs a simplified model validated by ab initio density-functional theory. We use it to shed light on the dependence of the quantum anomalous Hall effect on film thickness, magnetic configuration, the stacking sequences of the van der Waals coupled building blocks, and bulk electronic structure.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Oct 19, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.2014004117
Entities
People
- Allan H. MacDonald
- Chao Lei
- Shu Chen
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- Robert A. Welch Foundation
- Shanghai University
- University of Texas at Austin