No Arabic abstract
The combination of magnetism and topology in magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) has led to unprecedented advancements of time reversal symmetry-breaking topological quantum physics in the past decade. Compared with the uniform films, the MTI heterostructures provide a better framework to manipulate the spin-orbit coupling and spin properties. In this review, we summarize the fundamental mechanisms related to the physical orders host in (Bi,Sb)2(Te,Se)3-based hybrid systems. Besides, we provide an assessment on the general strategies to enhance the magnetic coupling and spin-orbit torque strength through different structural engineering approaches and effective interfacial interactions. Finally, we offer an outlook of MTI heterostructures-based spintronics applications, particularly in view of their feasibility to achieve room-temperature operation.
Introducing magnetism into topological insulators breaks time-reversal symmetry, and the magnetic exchange interaction can open a gap in the otherwise gapless topological surface states. This allows various novel topological quantum states to be generated, including the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) and axion insulator states. Magnetic doping and magnetic proximity are viewed as being useful means of exploring the interaction between topology and magnetism. However, the inhomogeneity of magnetic doping leads to complicated magnetic ordering and small exchange gaps, and consequently the observed QAHE appears only at ultralow temperatures. Therefore, intrinsic magnetic topological insulators are highly desired for increasing the QAHE working temperature and for investigating topological quantum phenomena further. The realization and characterization of such systems are essential for both fundamental physics and potential technical revolutions. This review summarizes recent research progress in intrinsic magnetic topological insulators, focusing mainly on the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 and its family of materials.
The most interesting experimental results obtained in studies of 2D and 3D topological insulators (TIs) based on HgTe quantum wells and films are reviewed. In the case of 2D TIs, these include the observation of nonlocal ballistic and diffusion transport, the magnetic breakdown of 2D TIs, and an anomalous temperature dependence of edge-channel resistance. In 3D TIs, a record-setting high mobility of surface two-dimensional Dirac fermions (DFs) has been attained. This enabled determining all the main TI parameters (the bulk gap and the density of DFs on both of its surfaces) and provided information on the phase of the Shubnikov - de Haas oscillations of DFs, which indicates the rigid topological coupling between the fermion spin and momentum. Prospects for further research are discussed in the conclusion.
It has been suggested that the enlarged spin susceptibility in topological insulators, described by Van Vlecks formalism, accounts for the ferromagnetism of bismuth-antimony topological chalcogenides doped with transition metal impurities. In contrast, earlier studies of HgTe and related topological systems pointed out that the interband analog of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction (the Bloembergen-Rowland mechanism) leads to antiferromagnetic coupling between pairs of localized spins. Here, we critically revisit these two approaches, show their shortcomings, and elucidate why the magnitude of the interband contribution is small even in topological systems. From the proposed theoretical approach and our computational studies of magnetism in Mn-doped HgTe and CdTe, we conclude that, in the absence of band carriers, the superexchange dominates, and its sign depends on the coordination and charge state of magnetic impurities rather than on the topological class of the host material.
We theoretically study the magnetoresistance (MR) of two-dimensional massless Dirac electrons as found on the surface of three-dimensional topological insulators (3D TIs) that is capped by a ferromagnetic insulator (FI). We calculate charge and spin transport by Kubo and Boltzmann theories, taking into account the ladder-vertex correction and the in-scattering due to normal and magnetic disorder. The induced exchange splitting is found to generate an electric conductivity that depends on the magnetization orientation, but its form is very different from both the anisotropic and spin Hall MR. The in-plane MR vanishes identically for non-magnetic disorder, while out-of-plane magnetizations cause a large MR ratio. On the other hand, we do find an in-plane MR and planar Hall effect in the presence of magnetic disorder aligned with the FI magnetization. Our results may help understand recent transport measurements on TI|FI systems.
The Hall effect, the anomalous Hall effect and the spin Hall effect are fundamental transport processes in solids arising from the Lorentz force and the spin-orbit coupling respectively. The quant