arXiv subjects

Xufeng Kou

Publications and source records attributed to Xufeng Kou.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Tailoring Exchange Couplings in Magnetic Topological Insulator/Antiferromagnet Heterostructures

Magnetic topological insulators such as Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 provide a platform for the realization of versatile time-reversal symmetry-breaking physics. By constructing heterostructures with Néel order in an antiferromagnetic CrSb and magnetic topological order in Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3, we realize emergent interfacial magnetic phenomena which can be tailored through artificial structural engineering. Through deliberate geometrical design of heterostructures and superlattices, we demonstrate the use of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling in manipulating the magnetic properties of the topological surface massive Dirac fermions. This work provides a new framework on integrating topological insulators with antiferromagnetic materials and unveils new avenues towards dissipationless topological antiferromagnetic spintronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Resonant magneto-optic Kerr effect in the magnetic topological insulator Cr:(Sb$_x$,Bi$_{1-x}$)$_2$Te$_3$

We report measurements of the polar Kerr effect, proportional to the out-of-plane component of the magnetization, in thin films of the magnetically doped topological insulator $(\text{Cr}_{0.12}\text{Bi}_{0.26}\text{Sb}_{0.62})_2\text{Te}_3$. Measurements of the complex Kerr angle, $Θ_K$, were performed as a function of photon energy in the range $0.8\text{ eV}<\hbarω<3.0\text{ eV}$. We observed a peak in the real part of $Θ_K(ω)$ and zero crossing in the imaginary part that we attribute to resonant interaction with a spin-orbit avoided crossing located $\approx$ 1.6 eV above the Fermi energy. The resonant enhancement allows measurement of the temperature and magnetic field dependence of $Θ_K$ in the ultrathin film limit, $d\geq2$ quintuple layers. We find a sharp transition to zero remanent magnetization at 6 K for $d<8$~QL, consistent with theories of the dependence of impurity spin interactions on film thickness and their location relative to topological insulator surfaces.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Electric-field control of spin-orbit torque in a magnetically doped topological insulator

Electric-field manipulation of magnetic order has proved of both fundamental and technological importance in spintronic devices. So far, electric-field control of ferromagnetism, magnetization and magnetic anisotropy has been explored in various magnetic materials, but the efficient electric-field control of spin-orbit torque (SOT) still remains elusive. Here, we report the effective electric-field control of a giant SOT in a Cr-doped topological insulator (TI) thin film using a top-gate FET structure. The SOT strength can be modulated by a factor of 4 within the accessible gate voltage range, and it shows strong correlation with the spin-polarized surface current in the film. Furthermore, we demonstrate the magnetization switching by scanning gate voltage with constant current and in-plane magnetic field applied in the film. The effective electric-field control of SOT and the giant spin-torque efficiency in Cr-doped TI may lead to the development of energy-efficient gate-controlled spin-torque devices compatible with modern field-effect semiconductor technologies.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Metal-to-Insulator Switching in Quantum Anomalous Hall States

After decades of searching for the dissipationless transport in the absence of any external magnetic field, quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) was recently achieved in magnetic topological insulator (TI) films. However, the universal phase diagram of QAHE and its relation with quantum Hall effect (QHE) remain to be investigated. Here, we report the experimental observation of the giant longitudinal resistance peak and zero Hall conductance plateau at the coercive field in the 6 quintuple-layer (Cr0.12Bi0.26Sb0.62)2Te3 film, and demonstrate the metal-to-insulator switching between two opposite QAHE plateau states up to 0.3 K. Moreover, the universal QAHE phase diagram is realized through the angle-dependent measurements. Our results address that the quantum phase transitions in both QAHE and QHE regimes are in the same universality class, yet the microscopic details are different. In addition, the realization of the QAHE insulating state unveils new ways to explore quantum phase-related physics and applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Nanoscale $β$-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Depth Imaging of Topological Insulators

Considerable evidence suggests that variations in the properties of topological insulators (TIs) at the nanoscale and at interfaces can strongly affect the physics of topological materials. Therefore, a detailed understanding of surface states and interface coupling is crucial to the search for and applications of new topological phases of matter. Currently, no methods can provide depth profiling near surfaces or at interfaces of topologically inequivalent materials. Such a method could advance the study of interactions. Herein we present a non-invasive depth-profiling technique based on $β$-NMR spectroscopy of radioactive $^8$Li$^+$ ions that can provide "one-dimensional imaging" in films of fixed thickness and generates nanoscale views of the electronic wavefunctions and magnetic order at topological surfaces and interfaces. By mapping the $^8$Li nuclear resonance near the surface and 10 nm deep into the bulk of pure and Cr-doped bismuth antimony telluride films, we provide signatures related to the TI properties and their topological non-trivial characteristics that affect the electron-nuclear hyperfine field, the metallic shift and magnetic order. These nanoscale variations in $β$-NMR parameters reflect the unconventional properties of the topological materials under study, and understanding the role of heterogeneities is expected to lead to the discovery of novel phenomena involving quantum materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Precise quantization of anomalous Hall effect near zero magnetic field

We report a nearly ideal quantum anomalous Hall effect in a three-dimensional topological insulator thin film with ferromagnetic doping. Near zero applied magnetic field we measure exact quantization in Hall resistance to within a part per 10,000 and longitudinal resistivity under 1 ohm per square, with chiral edge transport explicitly confirmed by non-local measurements. Deviations from this behavior are found to be caused by thermally-activated carriers, which can be eliminated by taking advantage of an unexpected magnetocaloric effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Scale-Invariant Dissipationless Chiral Transport in Magnetic Topological Insulators beyond the Two-Dimensional Limit

We investigate the quantum anomalous Hall Effect (QAHE) and related chiral transport in the millimeter-size (Cr0.12Bi0.26Sb0.62)2Te3 films. With high sample quality and robust magnetism at low temperatures, the quantized Hall conductance of e2/h is found to persist even when the film thickness is beyond the two-dimensional (2D) hybridization limit. Meanwhile, the Chern insulator-featured chiral edge conduction is manifested by the non-local transport measurements. In contrast to the 2D hybridized thin film, an additional weakly field-dependent longitudinal resistance is observed in the 10 quintuple-layer film, suggesting the influence of the film thickness on the dissipative edge channel in the QAHE regime. The extension of QAHE into the three-dimensional thickness region addresses the universality of this quantum transport phenomenon and motivates the exploration of new QAHE phases with tunable Chern numbers. In addition, the observation of the scale-invariant dissipationless chiral propagation on a macroscopic scale makes a major stride towards ideal low-power interconnect applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Stability, Electronic and Magnetic properties of magnetically doped topological insulators Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3

Magnetic interaction with the gapless surface states in topological insulator (TI) has been predicted to give rise to a few exotic quantum phenomena. However, the effective magnetic doping of TI is still challenging in experiment. Using first-principles calculations, the magnetic doping properties (V, Cr, Mn and Fe) in three strong TIs (Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$, Bi$_{2}$Te$_{3}$ and Sb$_{2}$Te$_{3}$) are investigated. We find that for all three TIs the cation-site substitutional doping is most energetically favorable with anion-rich environment as the optimal growth condition. Further our results show that under the nominal doping concentration of 4%, Cr and Fe doped Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$, Bi$_{2}$Te$_{3}$, and Cr doped Sb$_{2}$Te$_{3}$ remain as insulator, while all TIs doped with V, Mn and Fe doped Sb$_{2}$Te$_{3}$ become metal. We also show that the magnetic interaction of Cr doped Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ tends to be ferromagnetic, while Fe doped Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ is likely to be antiferromagnetic. Finally, we estimate the magnetic coupling and the Curie temperature for the promising ferromagnetic insulator (Cr doped Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$) by Monte Carlo simulation. These findings may provide important guidance for the magnetism incorporation in TIs experimentally.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

77Se NMR Investigation of Fe-doped Bi2Se3

Bismuth selenide is both a thermoelectric material and topological insulator. Defects and dopants create conduction in thermoelectric applications. However, such defects may degrade the performance as a topological insulator (TI). Magnetic impurities such as iron open a band gap at the Dirac point on the surface. Since magnetically-doped TIs are important in technological applications, a good understanding of their properties is needed. In this article, 77Se nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been used to investigate Fe-doped Bi2Se3. Spin-lattice relaxation measurements indicate that the Fe dopants provide a spin diffusion relaxation mechanism at low temperatures for the 77Se. Above 320 K, the predominant 77Se relaxation mechanism resulting from interaction with the conduction carriers is thermally induced with an activation energy of 21.5 kJ/mol (5.1 kcal/mol, 222 meV) and likely arises from inter-band excitations. Magic-angle spinning produces negligible narrowing of the 77Se resonance at 7 T, suggesting a statistical distribution of material defects and is also consistent with a dipolar interaction with the neighboring quadrupolar nucleus.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗