Nanoscale Control of Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4 Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy: Implications for Defect Control

Hyunsue Kim; Mengke Liu; Lisa Frammolino; Yanxing Li; Fan Zhang; Woojoo Lee; Chengye Dong; Yi Fan Zhao; Guan Yu Chen; Pin Jui Hsu; Cui Zu Chang; Joshua Robinson; Jiaqiang Yan; Xiaoqin Li; Allan H. MacDonald; Chih Kang Shih

doi:10.1021/acsanm.4c04518

Nanoscale Control of Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi₂Te₄ Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy: Implications for Defect Control

Hyunsue Kim, Mengke Liu, Lisa Frammolino, Yanxing Li, Fan Zhang, Woojoo Lee, Chengye Dong, Yi Fan Zhao, Guan Yu Chen, Pin Jui Hsu, Cui Zu Chang, Joshua Robinson, Jiaqiang Yan, Xiaoqin Li, Allan H. MacDonald, Chih Kang Shih

Correlated Electron Materials

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators have emerged as a promising platform to study the interplay between the topological surface states and ferromagnetism. This unique interplay can give rise to a variety of exotic quantum phenomena, including the quantum anomalous Hall effect and axion insulating states. Here, utilizing molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), we present a comprehensive study of the growth of MnBi₂Te₄ thin films on Si (111), epitaxial graphene, and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite substrates. By combining a suite of in situ characterization techniques, we obtain critical insights into the nanoscale control of MnBi₂Te₄ epitaxial growth. First, we extract the free energy landscape for the epitaxial relationship as a function of the in-plane angular distribution. Then, by employing an optimized layer-by-layer growth, we determine the chemical potential and Dirac point of the thin film at different thicknesses and how this quantity is manifested by the dopant compensation from different antisite defects. Overall, these results establish a foundation for understanding the growth kinetics of MnBi₂Te₄ and pave the way for future applications of MBE-grown thin films in emerging topological quantum materials.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	21149-21159
Number of pages	11
Journal	ACS Applied Nano Materials
Volume	7
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.4c04518
State	Published - Sep 13 2024

Funding

This work was primarily supported by the NSF through the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center under cooperative agreement no. DMR-1720595 and the US Air Force grant no. FA2386-21-1-4061. Other support is from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research grant no. FA2386-21-1-4067. Work done in Penn State is supported by 2DCC-MIP under NSF cooperative agreement DMR-1539916, DMR-2039351, ARO Award (W911NF2210159), as well as the support from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s EPiQS Initiative (GBMF9063 to C.-Z.C.). Work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. P.J.H. acknowledges support from the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan under grant no. NSTC-112-2636-M-007-006 and grant no. NSTC-110-2124-M-A49-008-MY3.

Keywords

MnBiTe
antisite defect
electronic structure
magnetic topological insulator
molecular beam epitaxy

Access to Document

10.1021/acsanm.4c04518

Cite this

Kim, H., Liu, M., Frammolino, L., Li, Y., Zhang, F., Lee, W., Dong, C., Zhao, Y. F., Chen, G. Y., Hsu, P. J., Chang, C. Z., Robinson, J., Yan, J., Li, X., MacDonald, A. H., & Shih, C. K. (2024). Nanoscale Control of Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi₂Te₄ Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy: Implications for Defect Control. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 7(17), 21149-21159. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.4c04518

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abstract = "Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators have emerged as a promising platform to study the interplay between the topological surface states and ferromagnetism. This unique interplay can give rise to a variety of exotic quantum phenomena, including the quantum anomalous Hall effect and axion insulating states. Here, utilizing molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), we present a comprehensive study of the growth of MnBi2Te4 thin films on Si (111), epitaxial graphene, and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite substrates. By combining a suite of in situ characterization techniques, we obtain critical insights into the nanoscale control of MnBi2Te4 epitaxial growth. First, we extract the free energy landscape for the epitaxial relationship as a function of the in-plane angular distribution. Then, by employing an optimized layer-by-layer growth, we determine the chemical potential and Dirac point of the thin film at different thicknesses and how this quantity is manifested by the dopant compensation from different antisite defects. Overall, these results establish a foundation for understanding the growth kinetics of MnBi2Te4 and pave the way for future applications of MBE-grown thin films in emerging topological quantum materials.",

keywords = "MnBiTe, antisite defect, electronic structure, magnetic topological insulator, molecular beam epitaxy",

author = "Hyunsue Kim and Mengke Liu and Lisa Frammolino and Yanxing Li and Fan Zhang and Woojoo Lee and Chengye Dong and Zhao, \{Yi Fan\} and Chen, \{Guan Yu\} and Hsu, \{Pin Jui\} and Chang, \{Cui Zu\} and Joshua Robinson and Jiaqiang Yan and Xiaoqin Li and MacDonald, \{Allan H.\} and Shih, \{Chih Kang\}",

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Kim, H, Liu, M, Frammolino, L, Li, Y, Zhang, F, Lee, W, Dong, C, Zhao, YF, Chen, GY, Hsu, PJ, Chang, CZ, Robinson, J, Yan, J, Li, X, MacDonald, AH & Shih, CK 2024, 'Nanoscale Control of Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi₂Te₄ Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy: Implications for Defect Control', ACS Applied Nano Materials, vol. 7, no. 17, pp. 21149-21159. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.4c04518

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T1 - Nanoscale Control of Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4 Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy

T2 - Implications for Defect Control

AU - Kim, Hyunsue

AU - Liu, Mengke

AU - Frammolino, Lisa

AU - Li, Yanxing

AU - Zhang, Fan

AU - Lee, Woojoo

AU - Dong, Chengye

AU - Zhao, Yi Fan

AU - Chen, Guan Yu

AU - Hsu, Pin Jui

AU - Chang, Cui Zu

AU - Robinson, Joshua

AU - Yan, Jiaqiang

AU - Li, Xiaoqin

AU - MacDonald, Allan H.

AU - Shih, Chih Kang

PY - 2024/9/13

Y1 - 2024/9/13

N2 - Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators have emerged as a promising platform to study the interplay between the topological surface states and ferromagnetism. This unique interplay can give rise to a variety of exotic quantum phenomena, including the quantum anomalous Hall effect and axion insulating states. Here, utilizing molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), we present a comprehensive study of the growth of MnBi2Te4 thin films on Si (111), epitaxial graphene, and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite substrates. By combining a suite of in situ characterization techniques, we obtain critical insights into the nanoscale control of MnBi2Te4 epitaxial growth. First, we extract the free energy landscape for the epitaxial relationship as a function of the in-plane angular distribution. Then, by employing an optimized layer-by-layer growth, we determine the chemical potential and Dirac point of the thin film at different thicknesses and how this quantity is manifested by the dopant compensation from different antisite defects. Overall, these results establish a foundation for understanding the growth kinetics of MnBi2Te4 and pave the way for future applications of MBE-grown thin films in emerging topological quantum materials.

AB - Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators have emerged as a promising platform to study the interplay between the topological surface states and ferromagnetism. This unique interplay can give rise to a variety of exotic quantum phenomena, including the quantum anomalous Hall effect and axion insulating states. Here, utilizing molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), we present a comprehensive study of the growth of MnBi2Te4 thin films on Si (111), epitaxial graphene, and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite substrates. By combining a suite of in situ characterization techniques, we obtain critical insights into the nanoscale control of MnBi2Te4 epitaxial growth. First, we extract the free energy landscape for the epitaxial relationship as a function of the in-plane angular distribution. Then, by employing an optimized layer-by-layer growth, we determine the chemical potential and Dirac point of the thin film at different thicknesses and how this quantity is manifested by the dopant compensation from different antisite defects. Overall, these results establish a foundation for understanding the growth kinetics of MnBi2Te4 and pave the way for future applications of MBE-grown thin films in emerging topological quantum materials.

KW - MnBiTe

KW - antisite defect

KW - electronic structure

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