Topological Magnetoelectric Response in Ferromagnetic Axion Insulators

Abstract

Topological magnetoelectric effect (TME) is a hallmark response of the topological field theory, which provides a paradigm shift in the study of emergent topological phenomena. However, its direct observation is yet to be realized due to the demanding magnetic configuration required to gap all the surface states. Here, we theoretically propose that the axion insulators with a simple ferromagnetic configuration, such as MnBi2Te4/(Bi2Te3)n family, provide an ideal playground to realize TME. In a designed triangular prism geometry, all the surface states are magnetically gapped. Under a vertical electric field, the surface Hall currents give rise to a nearly half-quantized orbital moment, accompanied with a gapless chiral hinge mode circulating parallelly. Thus, the orbital magnetization from the two topological origins can be easily distinguished by reversing the electric field. Our work paves a new avenue towards the direct observation of TME in realistic axion-insulator materials.

17 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (10)

• Topological Field Theory of Time-Reversal Invariant Insulators
• Orbital magnetization in periodic insulators
• Surface quantized anomalous Hall current and magneto-electric effect in magnetically disordered topological insulators
• Higher-order Topology of Axion Insulator EuIn${}_2$As${}_2$
• Layer Hall effect in a 2D topological Axion antiferromagnet
• Axion Electrodynamics in Topological Materials
• Tailoring tricolor structure of magnetic topological insulator for robust axion insulator
• Experimental signature of parity anomaly in semi-magnetic topological insulator
• Any Axion Insulator Must be a Bulk Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator
• Routes to realize the axion-insulator phase in MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ family: a perspective

Cited by in corpus (6)

• High spin axion insulator
• Interplay of Altermagnetic Order and Wilson Mass in the Dirac Equation: Helical Edge States without Time-Reversal Symmetry
• Intrinsic ferromagnetic axion states and a single pair of Weyl fermions in the stable-state Mn\emph{X}${}_2$\emph{B}${}_2$\emph{T}${}_6$-family materials
• Magnetization-Induced Phase Transitions on the surface of 3D Topological Insulators
• Magnetic-Field Tunable Möbius and Higher-Order Topological Insulators in Three-Dimensional Layered Octagonal Quasicrystals
• Engineering magnetic anisotropy and ferromagnetism in topological Kagome metal GdV6Sn6 via Nd substitution