Routes to realize the axion-insulator phase in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ family: a perspective

Abstract

Axion, first postulated as a hypothetical particle in high-energy physics, is now extended to describe a novel topological magnetoelectric effect derived from the Chern-Simons theory in condensed matter systems. The recent discovered intrinsic magnetic topological insulators MnBi2Te4 and its derivatives have attracted great attention because of their potential as a material platform to realize such a quantized axion field. Since the magnetic exchange gap can bring the half-quantized anomalous Hall effect at the surface, an axion insulator manifests as quantum anomalous Hall and zero Hall plateau effects in the thin films. However, many puzzles about this material family remain elusive yet, such as the gapless surface state and the direct experimental evidence of the axion insulator. In this Perspective, we discuss the preconditions, manifestations and signatures of the axion-insulator phase, in the context of the development of the natural magnetic topological heterostructure MnBi2Te4(Bi2Te3)n family with various intriguing quantum phenomena. Recent theoretical and experimental efforts regarding the intrinsic magnetic topological insulators are summarized here to pave the way for this phenomenally developing field.

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Cited by in corpus (28)

• Colloquium: Quantum anomalous Hall effect
• Switchable anomalous Hall effects in polar-stacked 2D antiferromagnet MnBi2Te4
• Distinct magnetic gaps between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders driven by surface defects in the topological magnet MnBi2Te4
• Progress and prospects in the quantum anomalous Hall effect
• Light-induced topological phase transition with tunable layer Hall effect in axion antiferromagnets
• Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Materials
• Magnetic Proximity Evoked Colossal Bulk Photovoltaics in Crystalline Symmetric Layers
• Half-Quantized Helical Hinge Currents in Axion Insulators
• 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
• Role of Magnetic Defects and Defect-engineering of Magnetic Topological Insulators
• Identifying Axion Insulator by Quantized Magnetoelectric Effect in Antiferromagnetic ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_2{\mathrm{Te}}_4$ Tunnel Junction
• Finite-size Topology
• High spin axion insulator
• Stacking-dependent Electronic and Topological Properties in van der Waals Antiferromagnet MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ Films
• Mechanism of carrier doping induced magnetic phase transitions in two-dimensional materials
• Van der Waals engineering of ultrafast carrier dynamics in magnetic heterostructures
• Topological Magnetoelectric Response in Ferromagnetic Axion Insulators
• Facet dependent surface energy gap on magnetic topological insulators
• Buffer-layer-controlled Nickeline vs Zinc-Blende/Wurtzite-type MnTe growths on c-plane Al2O3 substrates
• Engineering axion insulator phase in superlattices with inversion symmetry breaking
• Axion insulators protected by C2T and their K-theory invariants and material realization
• Intrinsic ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic axion insulators in van der Waals materials Mn\emph{X}${}_2$\emph{B}${}_2$\emph{T}${}_6$ family
• Quantum interference in a superconductor-${\mathrm{MnBi}}_2{\mathrm{Te}}_4$-superconductor Josephson junction
• Ferroelectric switching of quantum anomalous Hall effects in MnBi2Te4 films
• Accurate polymorphous description of the paramagnetic phases in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Fate of surface gaps in magnetic topological insulators
• Interplay between surface Dirac and Rashba states specific for topologically nontrivial van der Waals superlattices