Complex Magnetic Ordering in Candidate Topological Superconductors

Purnima P. Balakrishnan; Hemian Yi; Zi-Jie Yan; Wei Yuan; Andreas Suter; Christopher J. Jensen; Pascal Manuel; Fabio Orlandi; Takayasu Hanashima; Christy J. Kinane; Andrew J. Caruana; Brian B. Maranville; Zaher Salman; Thomas Prokscha; Cui-Zu Chang; Alexander J. Grutter

arXiv · 2503.11502

Complex Magnetic Ordering in Candidate Topological Superconductors

Purnima P. Balakrishnan·Hemian Yi·Zi-Jie Yan·Wei Yuan·Andreas Suter·Christopher J. Jensen·Pascal Manuel·Fabio Orlandi·Takayasu Hanashima·Christy J. Kinane·Andrew J. Caruana·Brian B. Maranville·Zaher Salman·Thomas Prokscha·Cui-Zu Chang·Alexander J. Grutter

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Abstract

The search for chiral topological superconductivity in magnetic topological insulator (TI)-FeTe heterostructures is a key frontier in condensed matter physics, with potential applications in topological quantum computing. The combination of ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and topologically nontrivial surface states brings together the key elements required for chiral Majorana physics. In this work, we examine the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity at the interfaces between FeTe and a series of TI overlayers. In superconducting MnBi$_2$Te$_4$/FeTe, any interfacial suppression of antiferromagnetism must affect at most a few nanometers. On the other hand, (Bi,Sb)$_2$Te$_3$/FeTe layers exhibit near-total suppression of antiferromagnetic ordering. Ferromagnetic Cr$_x$(Bi,Sb)$_{2-x}$Te$_3$ (CBST)/FeTe bilayers exhibit net magnetization in both CBST and FeTe layers, with evidence of interactions between superconductivity and ferromagnetism. These observations identify magnetic TI/FeTe interfaces as an exceptionally robust platform to realize chiral topological superconductivity.

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Purnima P. Balakrishnan, Hemian Yi, Zi-Jie Yan, Wei Yuan, Andreas Suter, Christopher J. Jensen, Pascal Manuel, Fabio Orlandi, Takayasu Hanashima, Christy J. Kinane, Andrew J. Caruana, Brian B. Maranville, Zaher Salman, Thomas Prokscha, Cui-Zu Chang, Alexander J. Grutter. 2025-03-14. Complex Magnetic Ordering in Candidate Topological Superconductors. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.11502

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