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Systematic studies of magneto-transport properties of the whole (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m family of magnetic topological insulators ( have been carried out. Temperature dependences of the resistivity, magnetoresistance and the Hall effect at low temperatures have been studied. When m increases, i.e., when the separation between 2D MnBi2Te4 magnetic layers becomes larger, the transition from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state takes place. We have found that ferromagnetic state survives even in the samples with, when 2D magnets are separated by six non-magnetic Bi2Te3 blocks.

Raman spectra of magnetic topological crystalline insulators in a wide temperature range including the magnetic ordering region are studied in detail. The anharmonicity parameters and Grüneisen mode parameters of Raman-active phonons in the studied crystals have been determined. It has been shown that the temperature dependence of the frequency of the (~48 cm–1) phonon in MnBi2Te4 coincides within ±0.1 cm–1 with the standard anharmonic model disregarding the spin–phonon coupling. The polarization dependences of Raman spectra in the MnSb2Te4 crystals indicate that Sb and Mn atoms are strongly mixed in them unlike the isostructural MnBi2Te4 crystals.

[EN] We study the surface crystalline and electronic structures of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S), micro(mu)-laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory calculations. Our STM images reveal native point defects at the surface that we identify as Bi-Te antisites and Mn-Bi substitutions. Bulk X-ray diffraction further evidences the presence of the Mn-Bi intermixing. Overall, our characterizations suggest that the defects concentration is nonuniform within crystals and differs from sample to sample. Consistently, the ARPES and STS experiments reveal that the Dirac point gap of the topological surface state is different for different samples and sample cleavages, respectively. Our calculations show that the antiparallel alignment of the Mn-Bi moments with respect to those of the Mn layer can indeed cause a strong reduction of the Dirac point gap size. The present study provides important insights into a highly debated issue of the MnBi2Te4 Dirac point gap.

[EN] We study the surface crystalline and electronic structures of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S), micro(mu)-laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory calculations. Our STM images reveal native point defects at the surface that we identify as Bi-Te antisites and Mn-Bi substitutions. Bulk X-ray diffraction further evidences the presence of the Mn-Bi intermixing. Overall, our characterizations suggest that the defects concentration is nonuniform within crystals and differs from sample to sample. Consistently, the ARPES and STS experiments reveal that the Dirac point gap of the topological surface state is different for different samples and sample cleavages, respectively. Our calculations show that the antiparallel alignment of the Mn-Bi moments with respect to those of the Mn layer can indeed cause a strong reduction of the Dirac point gap size. The present study provides important insights into a highly debated issue of the MnBi2Te4 Dirac point gap.

[EN] We study the surface crystalline and electronic structures of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S), micro(mu)-laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory calculations. Our STM images reveal native point defects at the surface that we identify as Bi-Te antisites and Mn-Bi substitutions. Bulk X-ray diffraction further evidences the presence of the Mn-Bi intermixing. Overall, our characterizations suggest that the defects concentration is nonuniform within crystals and differs from sample to sample. Consistently, the ARPES and STS experiments reveal that the Dirac point gap of the topological surface state is different for different samples and sample cleavages, respectively. Our calculations show that the antiparallel alignment of the Mn-Bi moments with respect to those of the Mn layer can indeed cause a strong reduction of the Dirac point gap size. The present study provides important insights into a highly debated issue of the MnBi2Te4 Dirac point gap.

[EN] We study the surface crystalline and electronic structures of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S), micro(mu)-laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory calculations. Our STM images reveal native point defects at the surface that we identify as Bi-Te antisites and Mn-Bi substitutions. Bulk X-ray diffraction further evidences the presence of the Mn-Bi intermixing. Overall, our characterizations suggest that the defects concentration is nonuniform within crystals and differs from sample to sample. Consistently, the ARPES and STS experiments reveal that the Dirac point gap of the topological surface state is different for different samples and sample cleavages, respectively. Our calculations show that the antiparallel alignment of the Mn-Bi moments with respect to those of the Mn layer can indeed cause a strong reduction of the Dirac point gap size. The present study provides important insights into a highly debated issue of the MnBi2Te4 Dirac point gap.

Further to the structure of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulators MnBi2Te4⋅n(Bi2Te3) with n<4, where index n is the number of quintuple Te-Bi-Te-Bi-Te building blocks inserted between the neighboring septuple Te-Bi-Te-Mn-Te-Bi-Te building blocks, the structure of the members with n=4, 5, and 6 was studied using x-ray powder diffraction. The unit-cell parameters and atomic positions were obtained. The obtained and available structural data were summarized to show that the crystal structure of all members of MnBi2Te4⋅n(Bi2Te3) follows the cubic close-packing principle, independently of the space group of the given member. Confocal Raman spectroscopy was then applied. Comparative analysis of the number, frequency, symmetry, and broadening of the vibration modes responsible for the lines in the Raman spectra of the systems with n=1,…,6, as well as MnBi2Te4(n=0) and Bi2Te3 (n=∞) has shown that lattice dynamics of MnBi2Te4⋅n(Bi2Te3) with n>0 overwhelmingly dominates by the cooperative atomic displacements in the quintuple building blocks.

This work is devoted to an experimental investigation of the electronic structure of the surface of topological insulators of various stoichiometry during the adsorption of Co atoms. Changes in the surface electronic structure of Bi2Te3 and MnBi2Te4 systems upon deposition of Co atoms at various temperatures have been studied using the methods of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is suggested that binding of the adsorbed Co atoms to the substrate surface modifies Dirac point position. The observed changes are associated with the possible formation of magnetic Co-containing ordered surface alloys.

Feasibility of many emergent phenomena that intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (TIs) may host depends crucially on our ability to engineer and efficiently tune their electronic and magnetic structures. Here we report on a large family of intrinsic magnetic TIs in the homologous series of the van der Waals compounds (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)(m)withm = 0, MIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS, 6. Magnetic, electronic and, consequently, topological properties of these materials depend strongly on themvalue and are thus highly tunable. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between the neighboring Mn layers strongly weakens on moving from MnBi2Te4(m = 0) to MnBi4Te7(m = 1) and MnBi6Te10(m = 2). Further increase inmleads to change of the overall magnetic behavior to ferromagnetic (FM) one for (m = 3), while the interlayer coupling almost disappears. In this way, the AFM and FM TI states are, respectively, realized in them = 0, 1, 2 andm = 3 cases. For largemnumbers a hitherto-unknown topologically nontrivial phase can be created, in which below the corresponding critical temperature the magnetizations of the non-interacting 2D ferromagnets, formed by the MnBi(2)Te(4)building blocks, are disordered along the third direction. The variety of intrinsic magnetic TI phases in (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)(m)allows efficient engineering of functional van der Waals heterostructures for topological quantum computation, as well as antiferromagnetic and 2D spintronics.

Modification of the gap at the Dirac point (DP) in axion antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 and its electronic and spin structure have been studied by angle- and spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) under laser excitation at various temperatures (9-35 K), light polarizations and photon energies. We have distinguished both large (60-70 meV) and reduced (< 20 meV) gaps at the DP in the ARPES dispersions, which remain open above the Neel temperature (T-N = 24.5 K). We propose that the gap above T-N remains open due to a short-range magnetic field generated by chiral spin fluctuations. Spin-resolved ARPES, XMCD and circular dichroism ARPES measurements show a surface ferromagnetic ordering for the "large gap" sample and apparently significantly reduced effective magnetic moment for the "reduced gap" sample. These observations can be explained by a shift of the Dirac cone (DC) state localization towards the second Mn layer due to structural disturbance and surface relaxation effects, where DC state is influenced by compensated opposite magnetic moments. As we have shown by means of ab-initio calculations surface structural modification can result in a significant modulation of the DP gap.

Modification of the gap at the Dirac point (DP) in axion antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 and its electronic and spin structure have been studied by angle- and spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) under laser excitation at various temperatures (9-35 K), light polarizations and photon energies. We have distinguished both large (60-70 meV) and reduced (< 20 meV) gaps at the DP in the ARPES dispersions, which remain open above the Neel temperature (T-N = 24.5 K). We propose that the gap above T-N remains open due to a short-range magnetic field generated by chiral spin fluctuations. Spin-resolved ARPES, XMCD and circular dichroism ARPES measurements show a surface ferromagnetic ordering for the "large gap" sample and apparently significantly reduced effective magnetic moment for the "reduced gap" sample. These observations can be explained by a shift of the Dirac cone (DC) state localization towards the second Mn layer due to structural disturbance and surface relaxation effects, where DC state is influenced by compensated opposite magnetic moments. As we have shown by means of ab-initio calculations surface structural modification can result in a significant modulation of the DP gap.

Feasibility of many emergent phenomena that intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (TIs) may host depends crucially on our ability to engineer and efficiently tune their electronic and magnetic structures. Here we report on a large family of intrinsic magnetic TIs in the homologous series of the van der Waals compounds (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)(m)withm = 0, MIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS, 6. Magnetic, electronic and, consequently, topological properties of these materials depend strongly on themvalue and are thus highly tunable. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between the neighboring Mn layers strongly weakens on moving from MnBi2Te4(m = 0) to MnBi4Te7(m = 1) and MnBi6Te10(m = 2). Further increase inmleads to change of the overall magnetic behavior to ferromagnetic (FM) one for (m = 3), while the interlayer coupling almost disappears. In this way, the AFM and FM TI states are, respectively, realized in them = 0, 1, 2 andm = 3 cases. For largemnumbers a hitherto-unknown topologically nontrivial phase can be created, in which below the corresponding critical temperature the magnetizations of the non-interacting 2D ferromagnets, formed by the MnBi(2)Te(4)building blocks, are disordered along the third direction. The variety of intrinsic magnetic TI phases in (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)(m)allows efficient engineering of functional van der Waals heterostructures for topological quantum computation, as well as antiferromagnetic and 2D spintronics.

Modification of the gap at the Dirac point (DP) in axion antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 and its electronic and spin structure have been studied by angle- and spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) under laser excitation at various temperatures (9-35 K), light polarizations and photon energies. We have distinguished both large (60-70 meV) and reduced (< 20 meV) gaps at the DP in the ARPES dispersions, which remain open above the Neel temperature (T-N = 24.5 K). We propose that the gap above T-N remains open due to a short-range magnetic field generated by chiral spin fluctuations. Spin-resolved ARPES, XMCD and circular dichroism ARPES measurements show a surface ferromagnetic ordering for the "large gap" sample and apparently significantly reduced effective magnetic moment for the "reduced gap" sample. These observations can be explained by a shift of the Dirac cone (DC) state localization towards the second Mn layer due to structural disturbance and surface relaxation effects, where DC state is influenced by compensated opposite magnetic moments. As we have shown by means of ab-initio calculations surface structural modification can result in a significant modulation of the DP gap.

Feasibility of many emergent phenomena that intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (TIs) may host depends crucially on our ability to engineer and efficiently tune their electronic and magnetic structures. Here we report on a large family of intrinsic magnetic TIs in the homologous series of the van der Waals compounds (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)(m)withm = 0, MIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS, 6. Magnetic, electronic and, consequently, topological properties of these materials depend strongly on themvalue and are thus highly tunable. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between the neighboring Mn layers strongly weakens on moving from MnBi2Te4(m = 0) to MnBi4Te7(m = 1) and MnBi6Te10(m = 2). Further increase inmleads to change of the overall magnetic behavior to ferromagnetic (FM) one for (m = 3), while the interlayer coupling almost disappears. In this way, the AFM and FM TI states are, respectively, realized in them = 0, 1, 2 andm = 3 cases. For largemnumbers a hitherto-unknown topologically nontrivial phase can be created, in which below the corresponding critical temperature the magnetizations of the non-interacting 2D ferromagnets, formed by the MnBi(2)Te(4)building blocks, are disordered along the third direction. The variety of intrinsic magnetic TI phases in (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)(m)allows efficient engineering of functional van der Waals heterostructures for topological quantum computation, as well as antiferromagnetic and 2D spintronics.

Chalcogenide phase-change materials show strikingly contrasting optical and electrical properties, which has led to their extensive implementation in various memory devices. By performing spin-, time-, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy combined with the first-principles calculation, we report the experimental results that the crystalline phase of GeSb2Te4 is topologically nontrivial in the vicinity of the Dirac semimetal phase. The resulting linearly dispersive bulk Dirac-like bands that cross the Fermi level and are thus responsible for conductivity in the stable crystalline phase of GeSb2Te4 can be viewed as a 3D analogue of graphene. Our finding provides us with the possibility of realizing inertia-free Dirac currents in phase-change materials.

Modification of the gap at the Dirac point (DP) in axion antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 and its electronic and spin structure have been studied by angle- and spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) under laser excitation at various temperatures (9–35 K), light polarizations and photon energies. We have distinguished both large (60–70 meV) and reduced (<20 meV) gaps at the DP in the ARPES dispersions, which remain open above the Neél temperature (TN=24.5 K). We propose that the gap above TN remains open due to a short-range magnetic field generated by chiral spin fluctuations. Spin-resolved ARPES, XMCD and circular dichroism ARPES measurements show a surface ferromagnetic ordering for the “large gap” sample and apparently significantly reduced effective magnetic moment for the “reduced gap” sample. These observations can be explained by a shift of the Dirac cone (DC) state localization towards the second Mn layer due to structural disturbance and surface relaxation effects, where DC state is influenced by compensated opposite magnetic moments. As we have shown by means of ab-initio calculations surface structural modification can result in a significant modulation of the DP gap.

Feasibility of many emergent phenomena that intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (TIs) may host depends crucially on our ability to engineer and efficiently tune their electronic and magnetic structures. Here we report on a large family of intrinsic magnetic TIs in the homologous series of the van der Waals compounds (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m with m = 0, ⋯, 6. Magnetic, electronic and, consequently, topological properties of these materials depend strongly on the m value and are thus highly tunable. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between the neighboring Mn layers strongly weakens on moving from MnBi2Te4 (m = 0) to MnBi4Te7 (m = 1) and MnBi6Te10 (m = 2). Further increase in m leads to change of the overall magnetic behavior to ferromagnetic (FM) one for (m = 3), while the interlayer coupling almost disappears. In this way, the AFM and FM TI states are, respectively, realized in the m = 0, 1, 2 and m = 3 cases. For large m numbers a hitherto-unknown topologically nontrivial phase can be created, in which below the corresponding critical temperature the magnetizations of the non-interacting 2D ferromagnets, formed by the MnBi2Te4 building blocks, are disordered along the third direction. The variety of intrinsic magnetic TI phases in (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m allows efficient engineering of functional van der Waals heterostructures for topological quantum computation, as well as antiferromagnetic and 2D spintronics.

Magnetic topological insulators are narrow-gap semiconductor materials that combine non-trivial band topology and magnetic order. Unlike their nonmagnetic counterparts, magnetic topological insulators may have some of the surfaces gapped, which enables a number of exotic phenomena that have potential applications in spintronics, such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect and chiral Majorana fermions. So far, magnetic topological insulators have only been created by means of doping nonmagnetic topological insulators with 3d transition-metal elements; however, such an approach leads to strongly inhomogeneous magnetic and electronic properties of these materials, restricting the observation of important effects to very low temperatures. An intrinsic magnetic topological insulator—a stoichiometric well ordered magnetic compound—could be an ideal solution to these problems, but no such material has been observed so far. Here we predict by ab initio calculations and further confirm using various experimental techniques the realization of an antiferromagnetic topological insulator in the layered van der Waals compound MnBiTe. The antiferromagnetic ordering that MnBiTe shows makes it invariant with respect to the combination of the time-reversal and primitive-lattice translation symmetries, giving rise to a ℤ topological classification; ℤ = 1 for MnBiTe, confirming its topologically nontrivial nature. Our experiments indicate that the symmetry-breaking (0001) surface of MnBiTe exhibits a large bandgap in the topological surface state. We expect this property to eventually enable the observation of a number of fundamental phenomena, among them quantized magnetoelectric coupling and axion electrodynamics. Other exotic phenomena could become accessible at much higher temperatures than those reached so far, such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect and chiral Majorana fermions.

It is shown that MnTe-Bi2Te3 system is quasi-binary and in fact hosts three intermediate phases. Along with already known MnBi2Te4 phase, another two, MnBi4Te7 and MnBi6Te10 have been found to exist. All the phases melt incongruently in a very narrow temperature range of 577e590 C via peritectic reactions. Directional crystal growth results in hetero-phase ingots due to the narrow compositional range and narrow primary crystallization fields. The crystal structure of each phase is a derivation of the prototype tetradymit-type layered structure and the phases constitute a new homologous series with the chemical formula (MnTe)$n(Bi2Te3). X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectroscopy of the sorted-out single phase samples show that different phases have different number of the seven (7)- and five (5)-layer blocks and their different stacking manner in the unit cell. In particular, MnBi2Te4 exhibits the -7-7-7-, MnBi4Te7 -5-7-5-7-, and MnBi6Te10 -5-5-7-5-5-7- sequence of the blocks. Thus, these structures are the first derivatives of Bi2Te3 structure to contain a transition metal cation Mn2þ .

A comparative study of the electronic and optical properties of Mn-Bi-Te layered compounds was carried out using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) over a photon energy range of 0.7-6.5 eV at room temperature and density functional theory (DFT)-based first-principle calculations within the general gradient approximation with Hubbard like correction (GGA+U) and allowance for a spin-orbital coupling. The total energies of the above compounds in ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin configurations are obtained by taking the long-range van der Waals interaction into account. The stability of the AFM state of MnBiTe and MnBiTe over the corresponding FM counterpart is disclosed. The SE-based and calculated dielectric functions are compared. It is shown that interband optical transitions in the accessed photon energy range mainly occur between Mn 3d + Te 5p states of the valence band and Bi 6p + Te 5p with a small admixture of Mn 3d states of the conduction band.

Narrow bandgap BiSe, BiTe, and SbTe, commonly referred to as classic 3D topological insulators, were studied at room temperature by spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical reflection spectroscopy over the mid-IR-near-infrared photon energy range. Complementarily, Hall measurements were performed. Plasmons in optical loss function and reflection coefficient were identified. The conventional approach based on the high frequency dielectric constant was shown to work well in the description of plasmons in BiSe and SbTe and to fail in the case of a similar compound, BiTe. The obtained results are discussed in terms of single- and multivalley approaches to the studied samples with taking the details of the calculated band structure into account.

The literature data on topological insulators (TIs) based on metal chalcogenides, which constitute a new unique class of functional materials, are systematized here in the context of physicochemical analysis and crystal chemistry. An accent is on the phase diagrams of relevant systems and the crystal structures of the main TI types. We show that, for search and design of new phases having TI properties, it will be expedient to revise earlier constructed phase diagrams for some systems, especially B–Se(Te) and A–B–Te (A = Ge, Sn, Pb; B = Sb, Bi) systems, using new approaches to studies of phase equilibria. There is also a need for systematic studies of complex systems involving binary and ternary TIs.

type:text, Spin polarization of a topological surface state for GeBi2Te4, the newly discovered three-dimensional topological insulator, has been studied by means of state-of-the-art spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. It has been revealed that the disorder in the crystal has a minor effect on the surface-state spin polarization, which is 70% near the Dirac point in the bulk energy gap region (∼180 meV). This finding promises not only to realize a highly spin-polarized surface-isolated transport but also to add functionality to its thermoelectric and thermomagnetic properties.

Spin polarization of a topological surface state for GeBi2Te4, the newly discovered three-dimensional topological insulator, has been studied by means of state-of-the-art spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. It has been revealed that the disorder in the crystal has a minor effect on the surface-state spin polarization, which is 70% near the Dirac point in the bulk energy gap region (∼180 meV). This finding promises not only to realize a highly spin-polarized surface-isolated transport but also to add functionality to its thermoelectric and thermomagnetic properties.

Spin polarization of a topological surface state for GeBi2Te4, the newly discovered three-dimensional topological insulator, has been studied by means of state-of-the-art spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. It has been revealed that the disorder in the crystal has a minor effect on the surface-state spin polarization, which is 70% near the Dirac point in the bulk energy gap region (∼180 meV). This finding promises not only to realize a highly spin-polarized surface-isolated transport but also to add functionality to its thermoelectric and thermomagnetic properties.

A topological insulator is a state of quantum matter that, while being an insulator in the bulk, hosts topologically protected electronic states at the surface. These states open the opportunity to realize a number of new applications in spintronics and quantum computing. To take advantage of their peculiar properties, topological insulators should be tuned in such a way that ideal and isolated Dirac cones are located within the topological transport regime without any scattering channels. Here we report ab-initio calculations, spin-resolved photoemission and scanning tunnelling microscopy experiments that demonstrate that the conducting states can effectively tuned within the concept of a homologous series that is formed by the binary chalcogenides (Bi(2)Te(3), Bi(2)Se(3) and Sb(2)Te(3)), with the addition of a third element of the group IV.

Spin polarization of a topological surface state for GeBi2Te4, the newly discovered three-dimensional topological insulator, has been studied by means of state-of-the-art spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. It has been revealed that the disorder in the crystal has a minor effect on the surface-state spin polarization, which is 70% near the Dirac point in the bulk energy gap region (∼180 meV). This finding promises not only to realize a highly spin-polarized surface-isolated transport but also to add functionality to its thermoelectric and thermomagnetic properties.