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

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