Interlayer Exchange Coupling-Induced Critical-Metal-to-Insulator Phase Transition in Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulators

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhang, Ruoxi, Zhao, Yi-Fan, Zhou, Ling-Jie, Zhuo, Deyi, Yan, Zi-Jie, Liu, Chao-Xing, Chan, Moses H. W., Chen, Chui-Zhen, Chang, Cui-Zu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Zhang, Ruoxi
Zhao, Yi-Fan
Zhou, Ling-Jie
Zhuo, Deyi
Yan, Zi-Jie
Liu, Chao-Xing
Chan, Moses H. W.
Chen, Chui-Zhen
Chang, Cui-Zu
author_facet Zhang, Ruoxi
Zhao, Yi-Fan
Zhou, Ling-Jie
Zhuo, Deyi
Yan, Zi-Jie
Liu, Chao-Xing
Chan, Moses H. W.
Chen, Chui-Zhen
Chang, Cui-Zu
contents Interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) between two magnetic layers sandwiched by a nonmagnetic spacer layer plays a critical role in shaping the magnetic properties of such heterostructures. The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect has been realized in a structure composed of two magnetically doped topological insulator (TI) layers separated by an undoped TI layer. In this work, we employ molecular beam epitaxy to synthesize a series of magnetic TI sandwiches with varying thicknesses of the middle TI spacer layer. The well-quantized QAH effect is observed in all these samples, and the IEC modulates its critical behavior between the top and bottom magnetic TI layers. Near the plateau phase transition (PPT), thinner QAH samples exhibit a two-dimensional critical metal behavior with nearly temperature-independent longitudinal resistance. In contrast, thicker QAH samples behave as a three-dimensional insulator with reduced longitudinal resistance at higher temperatures. We employ a magnetic TI Hamiltonian with random magnetic domains to understand the IEC-induced critical-metal-to-insulator transition observed near QAH PPT.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2404_02430
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Interlayer Exchange Coupling-Induced Critical-Metal-to-Insulator Phase Transition in Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulators
Zhang, Ruoxi
Zhao, Yi-Fan
Zhou, Ling-Jie
Zhuo, Deyi
Yan, Zi-Jie
Liu, Chao-Xing
Chan, Moses H. W.
Chen, Chui-Zhen
Chang, Cui-Zu
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
Interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) between two magnetic layers sandwiched by a nonmagnetic spacer layer plays a critical role in shaping the magnetic properties of such heterostructures. The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect has been realized in a structure composed of two magnetically doped topological insulator (TI) layers separated by an undoped TI layer. In this work, we employ molecular beam epitaxy to synthesize a series of magnetic TI sandwiches with varying thicknesses of the middle TI spacer layer. The well-quantized QAH effect is observed in all these samples, and the IEC modulates its critical behavior between the top and bottom magnetic TI layers. Near the plateau phase transition (PPT), thinner QAH samples exhibit a two-dimensional critical metal behavior with nearly temperature-independent longitudinal resistance. In contrast, thicker QAH samples behave as a three-dimensional insulator with reduced longitudinal resistance at higher temperatures. We employ a magnetic TI Hamiltonian with random magnetic domains to understand the IEC-induced critical-metal-to-insulator transition observed near QAH PPT.
title Interlayer Exchange Coupling-Induced Critical-Metal-to-Insulator Phase Transition in Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulators
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.02430