Magnetic quantum phase transition in Cr-doped Bi2(SexTe1-x)3 driven by the Stark effect

Abstract

The interplay between magnetism and topology, as exemplified in the magnetic skyrmion systems, has emerged as a rich playground for finding novel quantum phenomena and applications in future information technology. Magnetic topological insulators (TI) have attracted much recent attention, especially after the experimental realization of quantum anomalous Hall effect. Future applications of magnetic TI hinge on the accurate manipulation of magnetism and topology by external perturbations, preferably with a gate electric field. In this work, we investigate the magneto transport properties of Cr doped Bi2(SexTe1-x)3 TI across the topological quantum critical point (QCP). We find that the external gate voltage has negligible effect on the magnetic order for samples far away from the topological QCP. But for the sample near the QCP, we observe a ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) phase transition driven by the gate electric field. Theoretical calculations show that a perpendicular electric field causes a shift of electronic energy levels due to the Stark effect, which induces a topological quantum phase transition and consequently a magnetic phase transition. The in situ electrical control of the topological and magnetic properties of TI shed important new lights on future topological electronic or spintronic device applications.

arXiv comment20 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Nature Nanotechnology

References in corpus (26)

• Topological Insulators
• Anomalous Hall effect
• Experimental Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a Magnetic Topological Insulator
• Quantized Anomalous Hall Effect in Magnetic Topological Insulators
• Ferromagnetism in semiconductors and oxides: prospects from a ten years' perspective
• Crossover of Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator of Bi2Se3 to the Two-Dimensional Limit
• High-precision realization of robust quantum anomalous Hall state in a hard ferromagnetic topological insulator
• Dilute ferromagnetic semiconductors: Physics and spintronic structures
• Observation of tunable bandgap and anisotropic Dirac semimetal state in black phosphorus
• Trajectory of Anomalous Hall Effect toward the Quantized State in a Ferromagnetic Topological Insulator
• Gate-Voltage Control of Chemical Potential and Weak Anti-localization in Bismuth Selenide
• Scale-Invariant Dissipationless Chiral Transport in Magnetic Topological Insulators beyond the Two-Dimensional Limit
• Magnetic impurities on the surface of a topological insulator
• Creation and control of a two-dimensional electron liquid at the bare SrTiO3 surface
• Electric Field Induced Topological Phase Transition in Two-Dimensional Few-layer Black Phosphorus
• The development of ferromagnetism in the doped topological insulator Bi2-xMnxTe3
• Effective continuous model for surface states and thin films of three dimensional topological insulators
• Precise quantization of anomalous Hall effect near zero magnetic field
• Emergent quantum confinement at topological insulator surfaces
• Carrier-independent ferromagnetism and giant anomalous Hall effect in magnetic topological insulator
• Rashba spin-splitting control at the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Se3
• Transport Properties of Topological Insulators: Band Bending, Bulk Metal-to-Insulator Transition, and Weak Anti-Localization
• Electrically Tunable Magnetism in Magnetic Topological Insulators
• Electrically tuned magnetic order and magnetoresistance in a topological insulator
• Electric field driven quantum phase transition between band insulator and topological insulator
• Finite-size and composition-driven topological phase transition in (Bi${}_{1-x}$In${}_x$)${}_2$Se${}_3$ thin films

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Overcoming Boltzmann's Tyranny in a Transistor via the Topological Quantum Field Effect
• Progress in epitaxial thin-film Na3Bi as a topological electronic material
• Optimizing Topological Switching in Confined 2D-Xene Nanoribbons via Finite-Size Effects
• Topological Phase Transitions Induced by Disorder in Magnetically Doped (Bi, Sb)${}_2$Te${}_3$ Thin Films
• Tuning topology in thin films of topological insulators by strain gradients
• Effect of the external fields in high Chern number quantum anomalous Hall insulators
• From classical to quantum regime of topological surface states via defect engineering
• Tailoring Robust Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect via Entropy-Engineering