Emergent Momentum-Space Skyrmion Texture on the Surface of Topological Insulators

Abstract

The quantum anomalous Hall effect has been theoretically predicted and experimentally verified in magnetic topological insulators. In addition, the surface states of these materials exhibit a hedgehog-like "spin" texture in momentum space. Here, we apply the previously formulated low-energy model for Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$, a parent compound for magnetic topological insulators, to a slab geometry in which an exchange field acts only within one of the surface layers. In this sample set up, the hedgehog transforms into a skyrmion texture beyond a critical exchange field. This critical field marks a transition between two topologically distinct phases. The topological phase transition takes place without energy gap closing at the Fermi level and leaves the transverse Hall conductance unchanged and quantized to $e^2/2h$. The momentum-space skyrmion texture persists in a finite field range. It may find its realization in hybrid heterostructures with an interface between a three-dimensional topological insulator and a ferromagnetic insulator.

Revised manuscript, modified title, supplemental materials added

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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Skyrmion Control of Majorana States in Planar Josephson Junctions
• Momentum-Space Spin Texture in a Topological Superconductor
• Magnetic Switching in Weyl Semimetal-Superconductor Heterostructures
• Anisotropic planar Hall effects in Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$/EuS interfaces: Deciphering the role of proximity induced spin canting and topological spin texture
• Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Three-dimensional Topological Insulator/Thin-film Ferromagnetic Metal Bilayer Structure
• Interface controlled Berry phase and anisotropic spin-charge conversion in altermagnet-topological insulator bilayers