No Arabic abstract
In a topological insulator (TI)/magnetic insulator (MI) hetero-structure, large spin-orbit coupling of the TI and inversion symmetry breaking at the interface could foster non-planar spin textures such as skyrmions at the interface. This is observed as topological Hall effect in a conventional Hall set-up. While this effect has been observed at the interface of TI/MI, where MI beholds perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, non-trivial spin-textures that develop in interfacial MI with in-plane magnetic anisotropy is under-reported. In this work, we study Bi$_2$Te$_3$/EuS hetero-structure using planar Hall effect (PHE). We observe planar topological Hall and spontaneous planar Hall features that are characteristic of non-trivial in-plane spin textures at the interface. We find that the latter is minimum when the current and magnetic field directions are aligned parallel, and maximum when they are aligned perpendicularly within the sample plane, which maybe attributed to the underlying planar anisotropy of the spin-texture. These results demonstrate the importance of PHE for sensitive detection and characterization of non-trivial magnetic phase that has evaded exploration in the TI/MI interface.
The Dirac electrons occupying the surface states (SSs) of topological insulators (TIs) have been predicted to exhibit many exciting magneto-transport phenomena. Here we report on the first experimental observation of an unconventional planar Hall effect (PHE) and an electrically gate-tunable hysteretic planar magnetoresistance (PMR) in EuS/TI heterostructures, in which EuS is a ferromagnetic insulator (FMI) with an in-plane magnetization. In such exchange-coupled FMI/TI heterostructures, we find a significant (suppressed) PHE when the in-plane magnetic field is parallel (perpendicular) to the electric current. This behavior differs from previous observations of the PHE in ferromagnets and semiconductors. Furthermore, as the thickness of the 3D TI films is reduced into the 2D limit, in which the Dirac SSs develop a hybridization gap, we find a suppression of the PHE around the charge neutral point indicating the vital role of Dirac SSs in this phenomenon. To explain our findings, we outline a symmetry argument that excludes linear-Hall mechanisms and suggest two possible non-linear Hall mechanisms that can account for all the essential qualitative features in our observations.
Thanks to its unique symmetry, the unidirectional spin Hall and Rashba-Edelstein magnetoresistance (USRMR) is of great fundamental and practical interest, particularly in the context of reading magnetization states in two-terminal spin-orbit torque switching memory and logic devices. Recent studies show that topological insulators could improve USRMR amplitude. However, the topological insulator device configurations studied so far in this context, namely ferromagnetic metal/topological insulator bilayers and magnetically doped topological insulators, suffer from current shunting by the metallic layer and low Curie temperature, respectively. Here, we report large USRMR in a new material category - magnetic insulator/topological insulator bi-layered heterostructures. Such structures exhibit USRMR that is about an order of magnitude larger than the highest values reported so far in all-metal Ta/Co bilayers. We also demonstrate current-induced magnetization switching aided by an Oersted field, and electrical read out by the USRMR, as a prototype memory device.
The possible realization of dissipationless chiral edge current in a topological insulator / magnetic insulator heterostructure is based on the condition that the magnetic proximity exchange coupling at the interface is dominated by the Dirac surface states of the topological insulator. Here we report a polarized neutron reflectometry observation of Dirac electrons mediated magnetic proximity effect in a bulk-insulating topological insulator (Bi$_{0.2}$Sb$_{0.8}$)$_{2}$Te$_{3}$ / magnetic insulator EuS heterostructure. We are able to maximize the proximity induced magnetism by applying an electrical back gate to tune the Fermi level of topological insulator to be close to the charge neutral point. A phenomenological model based on diamagnetic screening is developed to explain the suppressed proximity induced magnetism at high carrier density. Our work paves the way to utilize the magnetic proximity effect at the topological insulator/magnetic insulator hetero-interface for low-power spintronic applications.
Enhancing the spin-orbit interaction in graphene, via proximity effects with topological insulators, could create a novel 2D system that combines nontrivial spin textures with high electron mobility. In order to engineer practical spintronics applications with such graphene/topological insulator (Gr/TI) heterostructures, an understanding of the hybrid spin-dependent properties is essential. {However to date, despite the large number of experimental studies on Gr/TI heterostructures reporting a great variety of remarkable (spin) transport phenomena, little is known about the true nature of the spin texture of the interface states as well as their role on the measured properties. Here we use {it ab initio} simulations and tight-binding models to determine the precise spin texture of electronic states in graphene interfaced with a Bi$_2$Se$_3$ topological insulator. Our calculations predict the emergence of a giant spin lifetime anisotropy in the graphene layer, which should be a measurable hallmark of spin transport in Gr/TI heterostructures, and suggest novel types of spin devices
Controlling interfacial interactions in magnetic/topological insulator heterostructures is a major challenge for the emergence of novel spin-dependent electronic phenomena. As for any rational design of heterostructures that rely on proximity effects, one should ideally retain the overall properties of each component while tuning interactions at the interface. However, in most inorganic interfaces interactions are too strong, consequently perturbing, and even quenching, both the magnetic moment and the topological surface states at each side of the interface. Here we show that these properties can be preserved by using ligand chemistry to tune the interaction of magnetic ions with the surface states. By depositing Co-based porphyrin and phthalocyanine monolayers on the surface of Bi$_2$Te$_3$ thin films, robust interfaces are formed that preserve undoped topological surface states as well as the pristine magnetic moment of the divalent Co ions. The selected ligands allow us to tune the interfacial hybridization within this weak interaction regime. These results, which are in stark contrast with the observed suppression of the surface state at the first quintuple layer of Bi$_2$Se$_3$ induced by the interaction with Co phthalocyanines, demonstrate the capability of planar metal-organic molecules to span interactions from the strong to the weak limit.