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.

arXiv comment11 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (27)

• Experimental Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a Magnetic Topological Insulator
• Magnetic-field-induced quantized anomalous Hall effect in intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Prediction and observation of the first antiferromagnetic topological insulator
• Robust axion insulator and Chern insulator phases in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic topological insulator
• Experimental realization of an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator
• Trajectory of Anomalous Hall Effect toward the Quantized State in a Ferromagnetic Topological Insulator
• Antiferromagnetic topological insulators
• Unique thickness-dependent properties of the van der Waals interlayer antiferromagnet $\mathrm{MnB}{\mathrm{i}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_4$ films
• The development of ferromagnetism in the doped topological insulator Bi2-xMnxTe3
• Magnetic modulation doping in topological insulators toward higher-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect
• Gapless surface Dirac cone in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Crystal growth and magnetic structure of MnBi2Te4
• Topological Electronic Structure and Its Temperature Evolution in Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4
• Dirac surface states in intrinsic magnetic topological insulators EuSn2As2 and MnBi2nTe3n+1
• Gapless Dirac surface states in the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4
• Evolution of structural, magnetic and transport properties in MnBi2-xSbxTe4
• Metal-to-Insulator Switching in Quantum Anomalous Hall States
• Surfaces of Axion Insulators
• Visualization of superparamagnetic dynamics in magnetic topological insulators
• Zero-field dissipationless chiral edge transport and the nature of dissipation in the quantum anomalous Hall state
• Collective magnetism at multiferroic vortex domain walls
• Magnetic imaging of antiferromagnetic domain walls
• Direct evidence of ferromagnetism in a quantum anomalous Hall system
• Hybridization-Induced Gapped and Gapless States on the Surfaces of Magnetic Topological Insulators
• Antiferromagnetic Domain Wall Control via the Surface Spin Flop in Fully Tunable Synthetic Antiferromagnets with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy
• Reorientation in Antiferromagnetic Multilayers: Spin-Flop Transition and Surface Effects
• Surface spin-flop transition in a uniaxial antiferromagnetic Fe/Cr superlattice induced by a magnetic field of arbitrary direction

Cited by in corpus (54)

• Colloquium: Quantum anomalous Hall effect
• Odd-even layer-number effect and layer-dependent magnetic phase diagrams in MnBi2Te4
• 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
• Visualizing Atomically-Layered Magnetism in CrSBr
• Quantized anomalous Hall resistivity achieved in molecular beam epitaxy-grown MnBi2Te4 thin films
• Routes to realize the axion-insulator phase in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ family: a perspective
• Distinct magnetic gaps between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders driven by surface defects in the topological magnet MnBi2Te4
• Topological response of the anomalous Hall effect in MnBi2Te4 due to magnetic canting
• Mapping the Dirac fermions in intrinsic antiferromagnetic topological insulators (MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$)(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ (n=0, 1)
• Antiferromagnetic Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect Modulated by Spin Flips and Flops
• Dissipationless Layertronics in Axion Insulator $\mathrm{MnB}{\mathrm{i}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_4$
• Visualizing the interplay of Dirac mass gap and magnetism at nanoscale in intrinsic magnetic topological insulators
• Quantum Imaging of Magnetic Phase Transitions and Spin Fluctuations in Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Nanoflakes
• Domain wall induced spin-polarized flat bands in antiferromagnetic topological insulators
• Ultrafast coherent interlayer phonon dynamics in atomically thin layers of MnBi2Te4
• Large Itinerant Electron Exchange Coupling in the Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4
• Recent advancements in the study of intrinsic magnetic topological insulators and magnetic Weyl semimetals
• Two-dimensional ferromagnetism with long-range interactions in the layered magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4
• Approaching a Minimal Topological Electronic Structure in Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4 via Surface Modification
• Towards the Quantized Anomalous Hall effect in AlO${}_x$-capped MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Real-time observation of magnetization and magnon dynamics in a two-dimensional topological antiferromagnet MnBi2Te4
• Electrically Controlled Anomalous Hall Effect and Orbital Magnetization in Topological Magnet MnBi2Te4
• Metamagnetism of few layer topological antiferromagnets
• Controlling a quantum point junction on the surface of an antiferromagnetic topological insulator
• Fabrication-induced even-odd discrepancy of magnetotransport in few-layer MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators of the MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ family
• Topological surface states of MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ at finite temperatures and at domain walls
• Magnetic field-controlled lattice thermal conductivity in MnBi2Te4
• On the topological surface states of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator Mn-Bi-Te family
• Observation of magnetism induced topological edge state in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi4Te7
• 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
• Direct visualization of surface spin-flip transition in MnBi4Te7
• Spectral features of magnetic domain walls on surface of 3D topological insulators
• Three-Dirac-fermion approach to unexpected universal gapless surface states of van der Waals magnetic topological insulators
• Configurable antiferromagnetic domains and lateral exchange bias in atomically thin CrPS4
• Momentum-inversion symmetry breaking on the Fermi surface of magnetic topological insulators
• Scanning SQUID-on-tip microscope in a top-loading cryogen-free dilution refrigerator
• Imaging the breakdown and restoration of topological protection in magnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Correlation between magnetic domain structures and quantum anomalous Hall effect in epitaxial MnBi2Te4 thin films
• Facet dependent surface energy gap on magnetic topological insulators
• Atomic-Layer-Controlled Magnetic Orders in MnBi2Te4-Bi2Te3 Topological Heterostructures
• Nanoscale visualization of the thermally-driven evolution of antiferromagnetic domains in FeTe thin films
• Interaction-induced topological superconductivity in antiferromagnet-superconductor junctions
• Intermediate anomalous Hall states induced by noncollinear spin structure in magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4
• Symmetry-driven anisotropic coupling effect in antiferromagnetic topological insulator: Mechanism for high-Chern-number quantum anomalous Hall state
• Hall-effect in the MnBi_2Te_4 crystal using silicon nitride nanomembrane via contacts
• Interplay between exchange split Dirac and Rashba-type surface states in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$/BiTeI interface
• Fermi level dependence of magnetism and magnetotransport in the magnetic topological insulators Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ and BiSbTe${}_3$ containing self-organized MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ septuple layers
• Tailoring Neel orders in Layered Topological Antiferromagnets
• Electrically tunable high-Chern-number quasiflat bands in twisted antiferromagnetic topological insulators
• Strongly enhanced topological quantum phases in dual-surface AlO${}_x$-encapsulated MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Defect-induced displacement of topological surface state in quantum magnet MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Topological properties of domain walls in antiferromagnetic topological insulators