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The study of the mechanism of exchange bias phenomena and the achievement of its efficient control are of great importance, as it promotes the revelation of unique exchange interactions and the development of exotic applications. However, it is challenging due to the elusive interface between magnetic phases. In this study, we report an unprecedented exchange bias phenomenon observed in ultrathin uncompensated antiferromagnetic MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. The magnitude and direction of the exchange field can be intentionally controlled by designing a magnetic field sweep protocol without a field cooling process. The combined experimental and theoretical simulation results indicate that the spin-flip process assisted by the ubiquitous defect-induced pinning domain sites with varying inner exchange interactions might give rise to the emergence and robustness of this peculiar exchange bias. The temperature and thickness dependence of the exchange bias phenomena are systematically investigated for further study and exploitation of its unique properties. This mechanism hold promise for highly tunable exchange bias in prevalent magnetic systems by engineering the properties of domain structures, and also offers promising avenues for the design of spintronic devices combing its topology based on MnBi$_2$Te$_4$., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

Motivated by advances in spintronic devices, an extensive exploration is underway to uncover materials that host topologically protected spin textures, exemplified by skyrmions. One critical challenge involved in the potential application of skyrmions in van der Waals (vdW) materials is the attainment and manipulation of skyrmions at room temperature. In this study, we report the creation of intrinsic skyrmion state in van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2. By employing variable temperature magnetic force microscopy, the skyrmion lattice can be locally manipulated on Fe3GaTe2 flake. The ordering of skyrmion state is further analyzed. Our result suggest Fe3GaTe2 emerges as a highly promising contender for the realization of skyrmion-based layered spintronic memory devices.

Antiferromagnets exhibiting giant anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) have recently aroused broad interest, not only for their potential applications in future electronic devices, but also because of the rich physics arising from the Berry curvature near the Fermi level. $\rm{Co_{1/3}NbS_2}$, by intercalating $\rm{Co^{2+}}$ ions between $\rm{NbS_2}$ layers, is a quasi-two-dimensional layered antiferromagnet with a chiral lattice. A large AHE has been observed in $\rm{Co_{1/3}NbS_2}$, but its origin is under debate. In this letter, we report the large AHE and ANE in exfoliated $\rm{Co_{1/3}NbS_2}$ flakes. By analyzing the thermoelectric data via the Mott relation, we determined that the observed large AHE and ANE primarily result from the intrinsic Berry curvature. We also observed the magnetic domains in $\rm{Co_{1/3}NbS_2}$ by reflective magnetic circular dichroism measurements. Combined with electrical transport measurements, we confirmed that the magnetic reversal in $\rm{Co_{1/3}NbS_2}$ is determined by domain wall motion, and the critical field ($H_c$) exhibits a memory effect of consecutive magnetic sweeps. Our work provides insight into the topological properties of $\rm{Co_{1/3}NbS_2}$ and paves the way to studying the spin configuration and magnetic domain dynamics in this fascinating antiferromagnet., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

The van der Waals antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 represents a promising platform for exploring the layer-dependent magnetism and topological states of matter. Recently observed discrepancies between magnetic and transport properties have aroused controversies concerning the topological nature of MnBi2Te4 in the ground state. In this article, we demonstrate that fabrication can induce mismatched even-odd layer dependent magnetotransport in few-layer MnBi2Te4. We perform a comprehensive study of the magnetotransport properties in 6- and 7-septuple-layer MnBi2Te4, and reveal that both even- and odd-number-layer device can show zero Hall plateau phenomena in zero magnetic field. Importantly, a statistical survey of the optical contrast in more than 200 MnBi2Te4 flakes reveals that the zero Hall plateau in odd-number-layer devices arises from the reduction of the effective thickness during the fabrication, a factor that was rarely noticed in previous studies of 2D materials. Our finding not only provides an explanation to the controversies regarding the discrepancy of the even-odd layer dependent magnetotransport in MnBi2Te4, but also highlights the critical issues concerning the fabrication and characterization of 2D material devices., Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures

Monolayer NaCrX2 (X=Te,Se,S) were theoretically proposed to be two-dimensional intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductors while their physical properties have not been thoroughly investigated in bulk single crystals. We report the single-crystal growth, structural, magnetic and electronic transport properties of NaCr(Te1-xSex)2 (0 6 x 6 1) and NaCrS2. For NaCr(Te1-xSex)2, the strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of NaCrTe2 can be gradually tuned to be a nearly isotropic one by Se-doping. Meanwhile, a systematic change in the conductivity with increasing x is observed, displaying a doping-induced metal-insulator-like transition. Under magnetic field larger than 30 koe, both NaCrTe2 and NaCrSe2 can be polarized to a ferromagnetic state. While for NaCrS2, robust antiferromagnetism is observed up to 70 kOe and two field-induced metamagnetic transitions are identified along H||ab. These intriguing properties together with the potential to be exfoliated down to few-layer thickness make NaCrX2 (X=Te,Se,S) promising for exploring spintronic applications.

Natural superlattice structures $\rm{(MnBi_2Te_4)(Bi_2Te_3)}$$_n$ ($n$ = 1, 2,...), in which magnetic $\rm{MnBi_2Te_4}$ layers are separated by nonmagnetic $\rm{Bi_2Te_3}$ layers, hold band topology, magnetism and reduced interlayer coupling, providing a promising platform for the realization of exotic topological quantum states. However, their magnetism in the two-dimensional limit, which is crucial for further exploration of quantum phenomena, remains elusive. Here, complex ferromagnetic (FM)-antiferromagnetic (AFM) coexisting ground states that persist up to the 2-septuple layers (SLs) limit are observed and comprehensively investigated in $\rm{MnBi_4Te_7}$ ($n$ = 1) and $\rm{MnBi_6Te_{10}}$ ($n$ = 2). The ubiquitous Mn-Bi site mixing modifies or even changes the sign of the subtle inter-SL magnetic interactions, yielding a spatially inhomogeneous interlayer coupling. Further, a tunable exchange bias effect is observed in $\rm{(MnBi_2Te_4)(Bi_2Te_3)}$$_n$ ($n$ = 1, 2), arising from the coupling between the FM and AFM components in the ground state. Our work highlights a new approach toward the fine-tuning of magnetism and paves the way for further study of quantum phenomena in $\rm{(MnBi_2Te_4)(Bi_2Te_3)}$$_n$ ($n$ = 1, 2,...) as well as their magnetic applications., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures

In transition-metal dipnictides $TmPn_2$ ($Tm$ = Ta, Nb; $Pn$ = P, As, Sb), the origin of extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) is yet to be studied by the direct visualization of the experimental band structures. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we map out the three-dimensional electronic structure of NbAs$_2$. The open-orbit topology contributes to a non-negligible part of the Fermi surfaces (FSs), like that of the isostructural compound MoAs$_2$, where the open FS is proposed to likely explain the origin of XMR. We further demonstrate the observation of open characters in the overall FSs of W$_2$As$_3$, which is also a XMR semimetal with the same space group of $C$12/$m$1 as $TmPn_2$ family and MoAs$_2$. Our results suggest that the open-orbit FS topology may be a shared feature between XMR materials with the space group of $C$12/$m$1, and thus could possibly play a role in determining the corresponding XMR effect together with the electron-hole compensation., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Editor's pick

Finding viable superconducting materials is of interest to the physics community as the superconductors are the playground to manifest many appealing quantum phenomena. This work exemplifies an end-to-end materials discovery towards novel MgB2-like superconductors, starting from the data-driven compound screening all the way to the experimental materialization. In addition to the known superconducting compounds, CaB2 (Tc = 9.4 ~ 28.6 K), SrGa2 (Tc = 0.1 ~ 2.4 K), BaGa2 (Tc = 0.3 ~ 3.3 K), BaAu2 (Tc = 0.0 ~ 0.5 K), and LaCu2 (Tc = 0.1 ~ 2.2 K) are newly discovered, out of ~182,000 starting structures, to be the most promising superconducting compounds that share similar atomic structures with MgB2. Moreover, BaGa2 is experimentally synthesized and measured to confirm that the compound is a BCS superconductor with Tc = 0.36 K, in good agreement with our theoretical predictions. This work provides a "once and for all" study for the MgB2-like superconductors and showcases that it is feasible to discover new materials via a data-driven approach.

Magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) have received a lot of attention due to the existence of various quantum phenomena such as quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) and topological magnetoelectric effect, etc. The intrinsic superlattice-like layered MTIs, MnBi2Te4/(Bi2Te3)n, have been extensively investigated mainly through the transport measurements, while the direct investigation of their superlattice-sensitive magnetic behaviors is relatively rare. Here, we report a microscopic real-space investigation of magnetic phase behaviors in MnBi4Te7 using cryogenic magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The intrinsic robust A-type antiferromagnetic (AFM), and emerged surface spin-flop (SSF), canted AFM (CAFM), ferromagnetic (FM)+CAFM, forced FM phases are sequentially visualized via the increased external magnetic field, in agreement with the metamagnetic behavior in the M-H curve. The temperature-dependent magnetic phase evolution behaviors are further investigated to obtain the complete H-T phase diagram of MnBi4Te7. The tentative local phase manipulation via the stray field of the magnetic tip is demonstrated by transforming the AFM to FM phase in its surface layers of MnBi4Te7. Our study the not only provide key real-space ingredients for understanding their complicated magnetic, electronic, and topological properties of these intrinsic MTIs, but also suggest new directions for manipulating spin textures and locally controlling their exotic properties.

The vanadium doping effects on superconductivity and magnetism of iron pnictides are investigated in Ba(Fe$_{0.92-x}$Co$_{0.08}$V$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ by transport, susceptibility and neutron scattering measurements. The doping of magnetic impurity V causes a fast suppression of superconductivity with T$_c$ reduced at a rate of 7.4~K/1\%V. On the other hand, the long-range commensurate $C$-type antiferromagnetic order is recovered upon the V doping. The value of ordered magnetic moments of Ba(Fe$_{0.92-x}$Co$_{0.08}$V$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ follows a dome-like evolution versus doping concentration x. A possible Griffiths-type antiferromagnetic region of multiple coexisting phases in the phase diagram of Ba(Fe$_{0.92-x}$Co$_{0.08}$V$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ is identified, in accordance with previous theoretical predictions based on a cooperative behavior of the magnetic impurities and the conduction electrons mediating the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interactions between them., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

Van der Waals (vdW) layered materials have rather weaker interlayer bonding than the intra-layer bonding, therefore the exfoliation along the stacking direction enables the achievement of monolayer or few layers vdW materials with emerging novel physical properties and functionalities. The ferroelectricity in vdW materials recently attracts renewed interest for the potential use in high-density storage devices. As the thickness going thinner, the competition between the surface energy, depolarization field and interfacial chemical bonds may give rise to the modification of ferroelectricity and crystalline structure, which has limited investigations. In this work, combining the piezoresponse force microscope scanning, contact resonance imaging, we report the existence of the intrinsic in-plane polarization in vdW ferroelectrics CuInP2S6 (CIPS) single crystals, whereas below a critical thickness between 90-100 nm, the in-plane polarization disappears. The Young's modulus also shows an abrupt stiffness at the critical thickness. Based on the density functional theory calculations, we ascribe these behaviors to a structural phase transition from monoclinic to trigonal structure, which is further verified by transmission electron microscope technique. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the foundational importance of structural phase transition for enhancing the rich functionality and broad utility of vdW ferroelectrics.

We have performed polarized and temperature-dependent Raman scattering measurements on extremely large magnetoresitance compounds TaAs$_2$ and NbAs$_2$. In both crystals, all the Raman active modes, including six A$_g$ modes and three B$_g$ modes, are clearly observed and well assigned with the combination of symmetry analysis and first-principles calculations. The well-resolved periodic intensity modulations of the observed modes with rotating crystal orientations, verify the symmetry of each assigned mode and are fitted to experimentally determine the elements of Raman tensor matrixes. The broadening of two A$_g$ modes seen in both compounds allows us to estimate electron-phonon coupling constant, which suggests a relatively small electron-phonon coupling in the semimetals TaAs$_2$ and NbAs$_2$. The present study provides the fundamental lattice dynamics information on TaAs$_2$ and NbAs$_2$ and may shed light on the understanding of their extraordinary large magnetoresistance.

We performed comparable polarized Raman scattering studies of MoTe2 and WTe2. By rotating crystals to tune the angle between the principal axis of the crystals and the polarization of the incident/scattered light, we obtained the angle dependence of the intensities for all the observed modes, which is perfectly consistent with careful symmetry analysis. Combining these results with first-principles calculations, we clearly identified the observed phonon modes in the different phases of both crystals. Fifteen Raman-active phonon modes (10Ag+5Bg) in the high-symmetry phase 1T'-MoTe2 (300 K) were well assigned, and all the symmetry-allowed Raman modes (11A1+6A2) in the low-symmetry phase Td-MoTe2 (10 K) and 12 Raman phonons (8A1+4A2) in Td-WTe2 were observed and identified. The present work provides basic information about the lattice dynamics in transition-metal dichalcogenides and may shed some light on the understanding of the extremely large magnetoresistance (MR) in this class of materials., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, 47 references

Modern electronic devices heavily rely on the accurate control of charge and spin of electrons. The emergence of controllable valley degree of freedom brings new possibilities and presents a promising prospect towards valleytronics. Recently, valley excitation selected by chiral optical pumping has been observed in monolayer MoS2. In this work, we report polarized photoluminescence (PL) measurements for monolayer MoSe2, another member of the family of transition-metal-dichalcogenides (MX2), and observe drastic difference from the outcomes of MoS2. In particular, we identify a valley polarization (VP) up to 70% for B exciton, while that for A exciton is less than 3%. Besides, we also find a small but finite negative VP for A- trion. These results reveal several new intra- and inter-valley scattering processes which significantly affect valley polarization, hence provide new insights into exciton physics in monolayer MX2 and possible valleytronic applications., Comment: 19 pages including supplementary information, 4 figures, 30 references

Based on an effective Hamiltonian specified in the triangular lattice with possible $p_x\pm ip_y$- or $d_{x^2-y^2}\pm id_{xy}$-wave pairing, which has close relevance to the newly discovered Na$_{0.35}$CoO$_2$$\cdot y$H$_2$O, the electronic structure of the vortex state is studied by solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. It is found that $p_x\pm ip_y$-wave is favored for the electron doping as the hopping integral $t<0$. The lowest-lying vortex bound states are found to have respectively zero and positive energies for $p_x\pm ip_y$- and $d_{x^2-y^2}\pm id_{xy}$-wave superconductors, whose vortex structures exhibit the intriguing six-fold symmetry. In the presence of strong on-site repulsion, the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic orders are induced around the vortex cores for the former and the latter, respectively, both of which cause the splitting of the LDOS peaks due to the lifting of spin degeneracy. STM and NMR measurements are able to probe the new features of vortex states uncovered in this work., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, The slightly shorter version was submitted to PRL