Magnetic interactions of 4$f$ electrons in the topological insulator chalcogenide Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$

Abstract

The gap opening mechanism of a topological insulator, the quantum anomalous Hall effect and the axion physics are still pressing open questions and a microscopic viewpoint to further understand the role of magnetism in topology is highly desirable. In this work we have performed a microscopic investigation, by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) along with complementary bulk measurements, on the chalcogenide (Bi${}_{1-x}$Gd${}_x$)${}_2$Se${}_3$ ($x$ = 0, 0.001, 0.002 and 0.006). Our analysis of the Gd${}^{3+}$ spin dynamics reveal no significant change of the Fermi surface as a function of Gd${}^{3+}$ concentration, which indicates that the 4$f$ magnetism is different from the non-local effects induced by transition metals ($d$ electrons) substitutions. Additionally, we observe an unusual evolution of the Gd${}^{3+}$ ESR spectra as a function of the applied magnetic field, which we discuss considering the magnetic interaction between Gd${}^{3+}$ 4$f$ electrons and impurity centers such as Se vacancies. This interaction would give rise to a local weak antilocalization effect surrounding the Gd${}^{3+}$ ions. Such mechanism is observable due to particular details of the Gd${}^{3+}$ 4$f$ electrons magnetism in this system compared to $d$ electrons. Our work points out that rare earth substitutions in this model topological insulator is a promising path to explore the axion insulating systems.

arXiv comment10 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev. B

References in corpus (45)

• Topological Insulators
• Quantum Spin Hall Effect and Topological Phase Transition in HgTe Quantum Wells
• Quantum Spin Hall Insulator State in HgTe Quantum Wells
• 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${}_4$
• High-precision realization of robust quantum anomalous Hall state in a hard ferromagnetic topological insulator
• Topological axion states in magnetic insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ with the quantized magnetoelectric effect
• Robust axion insulator and Chern insulator phases in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic topological insulator
• Bulk Fermi surface coexistence with Dirac surface state in Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$: a comparison of photoemission and Shubnikov-de Haas measurements
• Realization of the Axion Insulator State in Quantum Anomalous Hall Sandwich Heterostructures
• Competition between weak localization and antilocalization in topological surface states
• Thickness-dependent bulk properties and weak anti-localization effect in topological insulator Bi2Se3
• Evidence for electron-electron interaction in topological insulator thin films
• Tunable Surface Conductivity in Bi2Se3 Revealed in Diffusive Electron Transport
• Electronic Structure of the Topological Insulator Bi2Se3 Using Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy: Evidence for a Nearly Full Surface Spin Polarization
• Weak localization of bulk channels in topological insulator thin film
• Tailoring tricolor structure of magnetic topological insulator for robust axion insulator
• Interplay between ferromagnetism, surface states, and quantum corrections in a magnetically doped topological insulator
• Symmetry Enforced Chiral Hinge States and Surface Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Magnetic Axion Insulator ${\text{Bi}}_{2-x}{\text{Sm}}_x{\text{Se}}_3$
• Transport in two-dimensional topological materials: recent developments in experiment and theory
• In-Plane Orbital Texture Switch at the Dirac Point in the Topological Insulator Bi2Se3
• Emergence of inhomogeneous moments from spin liquid in the triangular-lattice Mott insulator $\kappa$-(ET)${}_2$Cu${}_2$(CN)${}_3$
• Coincidence of Superparamagnetism and perfect quantization in the Quantum Anomalous Hall state
• Gapped magnetic ground state in quantum-spin-liquid candidate $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)${}_2$-Cu${}_2$(CN)${}_3$
• Nonstoichiometric doping and Bi antisite defect in single crystal Bi2Se3
• Nature of the randomness-induced quantum spin liquids in two dimensions
• Critical Spin Liquid versus Valence Bond Glass in Triangular Lattice Organic $\kappa$-(ET)${}_2$Cu${}_2$(CN)${}_3$
• Systematics of electronic and magnetic properties in the transition metal doped Sb${}_2$Te${}_3$ quantum anomalous Hall platform
• Any Axion Insulator Must be a Bulk Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator
• Quantum anomalous Hall edge channels survive up to the Curie temperature
• Conductivity Corrections for Topological Insulators with Spin-Orbit Impurities: A New Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka Formula
• Impurity states in the magnetic topological insulator V:(Bi,Sb)${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Spin-lattice relaxation in bismuth chalcogenides
• Effect of Electron-electron Interaction on Surface Transport in Three-Dimensional Topological Insulators
• Spin dynamics and magnetic interactions of Mn dopants in the topological insulator Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Role of Se vacancies on Shubnikov de Haas oscillations in Bi2Se3: a combined magneto-resistance and positron annihilation study
• Impurity Moments Conceal Low-Energy Relaxation of Quantum Spin Liquids
• Incipient antiferromagnetism in the Eu-doped topological insulator Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Electronic Fingerprints of Cr and V Dopants in Topological Insulator Sb2Te3
• Ubiquitous impact of localised impurity states on the exchange coupling mechanism in magnetic topological insulators
• Metallic Surface States Probed Within the Microwave Skin Depth of the Putative Topological Insulator YBiPt Compound
• Interplay between Mn-acceptor state and Dirac surface states in Mn-doped Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$ topological insulator
• Spin dynamics of $3d$ and $4d$ impurities embedded in prototypical topological insulators
• Interfacing topological insulators and ferrimagnets: Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$ and Fe${}_3$O${}_4$ heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy
• Surface excitations relaxation in the Kondo insulator Sm${}_{1-x}$Gd${}_x$B${}_6$

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy on Magnetic Van der Waals Compounds