Robust A-type order and spin-flop transition on the surface of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$

Abstract

Here we present microscopic evidence of the persistence of uniaxial A-type antiferromagnetic order to the surface layers of MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ single crystals using magnetic force microscopy. Our results reveal termination-dependent magnetic contrast across both surface step edges and domain walls, which can be screened by thin layers of soft magnetism. The robust surface A-type order is further corroborated by the observation of termination-dependent surface spin-flop transitions, which have been theoretically proposed decades ago. Our results not only provide key ingredients for understanding the electronic properties of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$, but also open a new paradigm for exploring intrinsic surface metamagnetic transitions in natural antiferromagnets.

11 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Trajectory of Anomalous Hall Effect toward the Quantized State in a Ferromagnetic Topological Insulator
• Antiferromagnetic topological insulators
• The development of ferromagnetism in the doped topological insulator Bi2-xMnxTe3
• Crystal growth and magnetic structure of MnBi2Te4
• Magnetic imaging of antiferromagnetic domain walls
• Surface spin-flop transition in a uniaxial antiferromagnetic Fe/Cr superlattice induced by a magnetic field of arbitrary direction

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Coexistence of Surface Ferromagnetism and Gapless Topological State in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Sample-dependent Dirac point gap in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ and its response to the applied surface charge: a combined photoemission and ab initio study
• Routes to realize the axion-insulator phase in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ family: a perspective
• Recent advancements in the study of intrinsic magnetic topological insulators and magnetic Weyl semimetals
• Approaching a Minimal Topological Electronic Structure in Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4 via Surface Modification
• Spectral features of magnetic domain walls on surface of 3D topological insulators
• Facet dependent surface energy gap on magnetic topological insulators
• Interaction-induced topological superconductivity in antiferromagnet-superconductor junctions
• Intermediate anomalous Hall states induced by noncollinear spin structure in magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4