Dynamical axion state with hidden pseudospin Chern numbers in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$-based heterostructures

Abstract

Axion is a hypothetical elementary particle which was initially postulated to solve the charge conjugation-parity problem in particle physics. Interestingly, the axion state has emerged in effective theory of topological insulators and has attracted extensive attention in condensed matter physics. Time-reversal or inversion symmetry constrains the axion field $\theta$ to be quantized. When both the time-reversal and inversion symmetries are broken by, say, an antiferromagnetic order, the axion field $\theta$ could become unquantized and dynamical along with magnetic fluctuations, which is termed the dynamical axion field. Here, we reveal that a wide class of topological-insulator-based dynamical axion states could be distinguished from the normal-insulator-based ones by a hidden quantity derived from the pseudospin Chern number. Motivated by recent research on MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$-family materials, we further show that such topological-insulator-based dynamical axion states can be hopefully achieved in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$-based heterostructures, which should greatly facilitate the study of axion electrodynamics in condensed matter physics.

arXiv comment7 pages, 4 figures and supplemental materials, accepted by Phys. Rev. B

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Cited by in corpus (25)

• Generalized Symmetries in Condensed Matter
• Axion Electrodynamics in Topological Materials
• Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators
• Large dynamical axion field in topological antiferromagnetic insulator Mn${}_2$Bi${}_2$Te${}_5$
• Routes to realize the axion-insulator phase in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ family: a perspective
• Observation of the Axion quasiparticle in 2D MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Floquet engineering of magnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ films
• Tunable dynamical magnetoelectric effect in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ films
• Interlayer Ferromagnetism and High-Temperature Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in \textit{p}-Doped MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ Multilayers
• Intrinsic and tunable quantum anomalous Hall effect and magnetic topological phases in XYBi2Te5
• Ferroelectrically switchable magnetic multistates in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ and MnSb${}_2$Te${}_4$(Sb${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ (n = 0, 1) thin films
• Nonlinear level attraction of cavity axion polariton in antiferromagnetic topological insulator
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• Detecting axion dynamics on the surface of magnetic topological insulators