Electrically tuned magnetic order and magnetoresistance in a topological insulator

Abstract

The Dirac-like surface states of the topological insulators (TIs) are protected by time reversal symmetry (TRS) and exhibit a host of novel properties. Introducing magnetism into TI, which breaks the TRS, is expected to create exotic topological magnetoelectric effects. A particularly intriguing phenomenon in this case is the magnetic field dependence of electrical resistance, or magnetoresistance (MR). The intricate interplay between topological protection and broken-TRS may lead to highly unconventional MR behaviour that can find unique applications in magnetic sensing and data storage. However, so far the MR of TI with spontaneously broken TRS is still poorly understood, mainly due to the lack of well-controlled experiments. In this work, we investigate the magneto transport properties of a ferromagnetic TI thin film fabricated into a field effect transistor device. We observe an unusually complex evolution of MR when the Fermi level (EF) is tuned across the Dirac point (DP) by gate voltage. In particular, MR tends to be positive when EF lies close to the DP but becomes negative at higher energies. This trend is opposite to that expected from the Berry phase picture for localization, but is intimately correlated with the gate-tuned magnetic order. We show that the underlying physics is the competition between the topology-induced weak antilocalization and magnetism-induced negative MR. The simultaneous electrical control of magnetic order and magneto transport facilitates future TI-based spintronic devices.

arXiv comment4 figures, supplementary information included

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• Concurrence of Quantum Anomalous Hall and Topological Hall Effects in Magnetic Topological Insulator Sandwich Heterostructures
• Electrically Tunable Magnetism in Magnetic Topological Insulators
• Characterizing the Structure of Topological Insulator Thin Films
• Weak Localization and Antilocalization in Topological Materials with Impurity Spin-Orbit Interactions
• Engineering the breaking of time-reversal symmetry in gate-tunable hybrid ferromagnet/topological insulator heterostructures
• Magnetic quantum phase transition in Cr-doped Bi2(SexTe1-x)3 driven by the Stark effect
• Quantum Transport in Weyl Semimetal Thin Films in the Presence of Spin-Orbit Coupled Impurities
• Chromium-Induced Ferromagnetism with Perpendicular Anisotropy in Topological Crystalline Insulator SnTe (111) Thin Films
• Sign change in the anomalous Hall effect and strong transport effects in a 2D massive Dirac metal due to spin-charge correlated disorder
• Electric field induced permanent superconductivity in layered metal nitride chloride MNCl(M: Hf and Zr)
• Evolution of Dopant-Concentration-Induced Magnetic Exchange Interaction in Topological Insulator Thin Films
• Ambi-chiral anomalous Hall effect in magnetically doped topological insulators
• Vector Chirality $\kappa$ Driven Topological Phase Transition and the Associated Anomalous Hall Conductivity Tuning in a Non-Collinear Antiferromagnet
• Resonant Tunneling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance Induced by Magnetic Proximity
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• Revisiting magnetic exchange interactions in transition metal doped Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ using DFT+MFT
• Electric-field controlled superconductor-ferromagnetic insulator transition