Search

Magnetism coupled with topological materials can offer a platform for realizing quite rich fascinating physical phenomena, including quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), topological magnetoelectric effect, and giant anomalous Nernst effect. Recently, the discovery of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{4}$ has promoted the study of the physical phenomena of magnetic topological materials. Here, we grow single crystals of Sn-doped ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{4}$ in bulk with ratios of 25%, 33%, 50%, and 66% to probe the magnetic and electrical properties. We perform low-temperature magnetic and electrical transport measurements for Sn-doped ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{4}$ and find that the antiferromagnetic (AFM) character is clear in this material until the concentration rises to 66%, and mainly transport dominated carriers are n-type. Most of all, the transition points of ${\mathrm{MnBi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{4}$ decrease upon Sn doping, providing an alternative approach to realize QAHE at lower magnetic field, which is essential for further application in AFM spintronics.

Despite the broadband response, limited optical absorption at a particular wavelength hinders the development of optoelectronics based on Dirac fermions. Heterostructures of graphene and various semiconductors have been explored for this purpose, while non-ideal interfaces often limit the performance. The topological insulator (TI) is a natural hybrid system, with the surface states hosting high-mobility Dirac fermions and the small-bandgap semiconducting bulk state strongly absorbing light. In this work, we show a large photocurrent response from a field effect transistor device based on intrinsic TI Sn–Bi1.1Sb0.9Te2S (Sn-BSTS). The photocurrent response is non-volatile and sensitively depends on the initial Fermi energy of the surface state, and it can be erased by controlling the gate voltage. Our observations can be explained with a remote photo-doping mechanism, in which the light excites the defects in the bulk and frees the localized carriers to the surface state. This photodoping modulates the surface state conductivity without compromising the mobility, and it also significantly modify the quantum Hall effect of the surface state. Our work thus illustrates a route to reversibly manipulate the surface states through optical excitation, shedding light into utilizing topological surface states for quantum optoelectronics.

Crystalline and amorphous structures are two of the most common solid-state phases. Crystals having orientational and periodic translation symmetries are usually both short-range and long-range ordered, while amorphous materials have no long-range order. Short-range ordered but long-range disordered materials are generally categorized into amorphous phases. In contrast to the extensively studied crystalline and amorphous phases, the combination of short-range disordered and long-range ordered structures at the atomic level is extremely rare and so far has only been reported for solvated fullerenes under compression. Here, a report on the creation and investigation of a superconducting quasi-1D material with long-range ordered amorphous building blocks is presented. Using a diamond anvil cell, monocrystalline (TaSe 4 ) 2 I is compressed and a system is created where the TaSe 4 atomic chains are in amorphous state without breaking the orientational and periodic translation symmetries of the chain lattice. Strikingly, along with the amorphization of the atomic chains, the insulating (TaSe 4 ) 2 I becomes a superconductor. The data provide critical insight into a new phase of solid-state materials. The findings demonstrate a first ever case where superconductivity is hosted by a lattice with periodic but amorphous constituent atomic chains.

A new kind of intrinsic magnetic topological insulator (MTI) MnBi2Te4 family has shed light on the observation of novel topological quantum effects such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). However, strong anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) coupling and high carrier concentration in the bulk hinder practical applications. In closely related materials MnBi4Te7 and MnBi6Te10, the interlayer magnetic coupling is greatly suppressed by Bi2Te3 layer intercalation. However, AFM is still the ground state in these compounds. Here, by magnetic and transport measurements, we demonstrate that a Sb substitutional dopant plays a dual role in MnBi6Te10, which can not only adjust the charge carrier type and concentration, but also induces the solid into a ferromagnetic (FM) ground state. The AFM ground state region, which is also close to the charge neutral point, can be found in the phase diagram of Mn(Sb x Bi1−x )6Te10 when x ∼ 0.25. An intrinsic FM-MTI candidate is thus demonstrated, which may take us a step closer to realizing a high-quality and high-temperature QAHE and related topological quantum effects in the future.

Magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) offer a combination of topologically nontrivial characteristics and magnetic order and show promise in terms of potentially interesting physical phenomena such as the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect and topological axion insulating states. However, the understanding of their properties and potential applications have been limited due to a lack of suitable candidates for MTIs. Here, we grow two-dimensional single crystals of Mn(SbxBi(1-x))2Te4 bulk and exfoliate them into thin flakes in order to search for intrinsic MTIs. We perform angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, low-temperature transport measurements, and first-principles calculations to investigate the band structure, transport properties, and magnetism of this family of materials, as well as the evolution of their topological properties. We find that there exists an optimized MTI zone in the Mn(SbxBi(1-x))2Te4 phase diagram, which could possibly host a high-temperature QAH phase, offering a promising avenue for new device applications., Available intrinsic magnetic topological insulators are rare. Here, the authors study the electronic and magnetic properties of Mn(SbxBi(1-x))2Te4 bulks and thin flakes, revealing intrinsic magnetic topological insulator phase in the phase diagram.

Topological insulators and their characteristics are among the most highly studied areas in condensed matter physics. Bi2Se3 nanocrystals were synthesized via chemical vapor deposition at different temperatures on a silicon substrate with a gold catalyst. The effects of temperature on the obtained Bi2Se3 nanocrystals were systematically investigated. The size and length of Bi2Se3 nanocrystals change when the temperature increases from 500 °C to 600 °C. We found that the crystallization quality of the Bi2Se3 nanocrystals synthesized at 560 °C is optimal. At this temperature, we can get the desired thickness and length of the nanocrystals, which is quite suitable for nanoscale fabrication.

Recent research on intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (MTIs), MnBi2Te4, sheds new light on the observation of a long-expected high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). However, the strong interlayered anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) coupling hinders the practical applications without applying a magnetic field. Thus, how to adjust the magnetism of this compound under zero field is essential. Here, we theoretically and experimentally study the magnetic properties of two new promising intrinsic MTI candidates MnBi4Te7 and MnBi6Te10, formed by intercalating the Bi2Te3 layer into MnBi2Te4. The first-principles calculations reveal that the relative energy between ferromagnetic (FM) and AFM states is greatly reduced by Bi2Te3 intercalations. The calculated energy barriers for the spin flipping process also point out that the metastable FM state is more easily retained by intercalation. Meanwhile, we also experimentally carry out magnetic and transport measurements on these materials. By increasing Bi2Te3 intercalations, the AFM coupling becomes weaker, and an almost fully polarized FM state can be preserved in MnBi6Te10 at low temperatures, which are consistent with our calculations. We believe that the demonstration of the intrinsic MTI preserving zero-field FM state and the in-depth investigation for the mechanism behind pave the way for investigating the high-temperature QAHE and the related physics.

The transition metal dichalcogenide Ir1−xPtxTe2 displays both superconductivity and a topological band structure. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we obtain a comprehensive understanding of the three-dimensional electronic structure in the normal state of Ir1−xPtxTe2 for doping levels from x = 0.1 to 0.4, which spans the composition range of a superconducting state to a non-superconducting state. Many features of the electronic structure can be attributed to strong Te–Te interactions between the layers of the layered crystal structure and can be resolved by photon energy dependent measurements. We demonstrate that the type-II Dirac fermions can be successfully tuned via Pt doping, where the Dirac point lies close to the Fermi level for x = 0.1. The band evolution vs doping provides a clearer understanding of the relationship between the superconductivity and electronic structure. In addition, the β band in the superconducting samples locates the system close to a type-II van Hove singularity, where spin triplet paring symmetry has been predicted. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the band structure of Ir1−xPtxTe2, and we discuss the possibilities of the existence of topological superconductivity in this system.

A topological insulator (TI) is a kind of novel material hosting a topological band structure and plenty of exotic topological quantum effects. Achieving quantized electrical transport, including the quantum Hall effect (QHE) and the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), is an important aspect of realizing quantum devices based on TI materials. Intense efforts are made in this field, in which the most essential research is based on the optimization of realistic TI materials. Herein, the TI material development process is reviewed, focusing on the realization of quantized transport. Especially, for QHE, the strategies to increase the surface transport ratio and decrease the threshold magnetic field of QHE are examined. For QAHE, the evolution history of magnetic TIs is introduced, and the recently discovered magnetic TI candidates with intrinsic magnetizations are discussed in detail. Moreover, future research perspectives on these novel topological quantum effects are also evaluated.

A lateral heterojunction of topological insulator Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 was successfully synthesized using a two-step solvothermal method. The two crystalline components were separated well by a sharp lattice-matched interface when the optimized procedure was used. Inspecting the heterojunction using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that epitaxial growth occurred along the horizontal plane. The semiconducting temperature-resistance curve and crossjunction rectification were observed, which reveal a staggered-gap lateral heterojunction with a small junction voltage. Quantum correction from the weak antilocalization reveals the well-maintained transport of the topological surface state. This is appealing for a platform for spin filters and one-dimensional topological interface states.

Here we introduce lattice defects in WTe2 by Ga+ implantation (GI), and study the effects of defects on the transport properties and electronic structures of the samples. Theoretical calculation shows that Te Frenkel defects is the dominant defect type, and Raman characterization results agree with this. Electrical transport measurements show that, after GI, significant changes are observed in magnetoresistance and Hall resistance. The classical two-band model analysis shows that both electron and hole concentration are significantly reduced. According to the calculated results, ion implantation leads to significant changes in the band structure and the Fermi surface of the WTe2. Our results indicate that defect engineering is an effective route of controlling the electronic properties of WTe2 devices.

The discovery of a new type-II Dirac semimetal in Ir1-x Ptx Te2 with optimized band structure is described. Pt dopants protect the crystal structure holding the Dirac cones and tune the Fermi level close to the Dirac point. The type-II Dirac dispersion in Ir1-x Ptx Te2 is confirmed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Superconductivity is also observed and persists when the Fermi level aligns with the Dirac points. Ir1-x Ptx Te2 is an ideal platform for further studies on the exotic properties and potential applications of type-II DSMs, and opens up a new route for the investigation of the possible topological superconductivity and Majorana physics.

We fabricated nanodevices from MoxW1−xTe2 (x = 0, 0.07, 0.35), and conducted a systematic comparative study of their electrical transport. Magnetoresistance measurements show that Mo doping can significantly suppress mobility and magnetoresistance. The results for the analysis of the two band model show that doping with Mo does not break the carrier balance. Through analysis of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations, we found that Mo doping also has a strong suppressive effect on the quantum oscillation of the sample, and the higher the ratio of Mo, the fewer pockets were observed in our experiments. Furthermore, the effective mass of electron and hole increases gradually with increasing Mo ratio, while the corresponding quantum mobility decreases rapidly.

Here we synthesized the antimony doped [Formula: see text] nanoplates by the solvothermal method. The angle-dependent magnetoconductance study was carried out and all the [Formula: see text] were found to be normalized to the perpendicular field, indicating a clear 2D electronic state. The features of weak antilocalization and universal conductance fluctuations were clearly identified in the magnetoresistance transport of the 4-probe nanodevices. The dephasing lengths are extracted respectively according to the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka theory. It is attributed to the involvement of the dynamic spin centers. The dephasing lengths are found to increase with the decreasing temperature following a [Formula: see text] law with [Formula: see text]. This reveals the additional dephasing source of electron-phonon interaction, which is often absent for pure 2D electronic systems.