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.

arXiv comment17 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (53)

• Topological insulators and superconductors
• Topological Field Theory of Time-Reversal Invariant Insulators
• Higher-Order Topological Insulators
• Prediction and observation of the first antiferromagnetic topological insulator
• Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators in van der Waals layered MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$-family materials
• Magnetoelectric polarizability and axion electrodynamics in crystalline insulators
• Model Hamiltonian for Topological Insulators
• Topological axion states in magnetic insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ with the quantized magnetoelectric effect
• Higher-Order Topology in Bismuth
• Robust axion insulator and Chern insulator phases in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic topological insulator
• Symmetry-based Indicators of Band Topology in the 230 Space Groups
• Hexagonal Warping Effects in the Surface States of Topological Insulator Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Experimental realization of an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator
• Higher-order topological insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry
• Orbital magnetization in periodic insulators
• Surface quantized anomalous Hall current and magneto-electric effect in magnetically disordered topological insulators
• Quantized Faraday and Kerr rotation and axion electrodynamics of a 3D topological insulator
• Higher-order Topology of Axion Insulator EuIn${}_2$As${}_2$
• Realization of the Axion Insulator State in Quantum Anomalous Hall Sandwich Heterostructures
• Layer Hall effect in a 2D topological Axion antiferromagnet
• Quantitative mappings between symmetry and topology in solids
• Mapping topological order in coordinate space
• Quantized Response and Topology of Insulators with Inversion Symmetry
• Large magnetic gap at the Dirac point in a Mn-induced Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ heterostructure
• A van der Waals antiferromagnetic topological insulator with weak interlayer magnetic coupling
• Natural van der Waals heterostructural single crystals with both magnetic and topological properties
• Axion Electrodynamics in Topological Materials
• Quantized topological magnetoelectric effect of the zero-plateau quantum anomalous Hall state
• Möbius Insulator and Higher-Order Topology in MnBi${}_{2n}$Te${}_{3n+1}$
• Tailoring tricolor structure of magnetic topological insulator for robust axion insulator
• Observation of the universal magnetoelectric effect in a 3D topological insulator
• Realization of an intrinsic, ferromagnetic topological state in MnBi8Te13
• Metal-to-Insulator Switching in Quantum Anomalous Hall States
• Surfaces of Axion Insulators
• Topological magneto-electric effects in thin films of topological insulators
• Observation of high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall regime in intrinsic MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$/Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ superlattice
• Symmetry Enforced Chiral Hinge States and Surface Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Magnetic Axion Insulator ${\text{Bi}}_{2-x}{\text{Sm}}_x{\text{Se}}_3$
• Rational design principles of quantum anomalous Hall effect from superlattice-like magnetic topological insulators
• Experimental signature of parity anomaly in semi-magnetic topological insulator
• Universal Scaling of Quantum Anomalous Hall Plateau Transition
• Observation of the zero Hall plateau in a quantum anomalous Hall insulator
• Surface-edge state and half quantized Hall conductance in topological insulators
• Intrinsic axion insulating behavior in antiferromagnetic MnBi${}_6$Te${}_{10}$
• Magnetic topological insulator MnBi6Te10 with zero-field ferromagnetic state and gapped Dirac surface states
• Half-Magnetic Topological Insulator
• Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators
• Spectral signatures of the surface anomalous Hall effect in magnetic axion insulators
• On the matter of topological insulators as magnetoelectrics
• Using nonlocal surface transport to identify the axion 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
• Tunable dynamical magnetoelectric effect in antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ films
• Geometric and nongeometric contributions to the surface anomalous Hall conductivity

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