Realization of the Axion Insulator State in Quantum Anomalous Hall Sandwich Heterostructures

Physical Review Letters
Di XiaoCui-Zu Chang

Abstract

The "magnetoelectric effect" arises from the coupling between magnetic and electric properties in materials. The Z_{2} invariant of topological insulators (TIs) leads to a quantized version of this phenomenon, known as the topological magnetoelectric (TME) effect. This effect can be realized in a new topological phase called an "axion insulator" whose surface states are all gapped but the interior still obeys time reversal symmetry. We demonstrate such a phase using electrical transport measurements in a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) sandwich heterostructure, in which two compositionally different magnetic TI layers are separated by an undoped TI layer. Magnetic force microscopy images of the same sample reveal sequential magnetization reversals of the top and bottom layers at different coercive fields, a consequence of the weak interlayer exchange coupling due to the spacer. When the magnetization is antiparallel, both the Hall resistance and Hall conductance show zero plateaus, accompanied by a large longitudinal resistance and vanishing longitudinal conductance, indicating the realization of an axion insulator state. Our findings thus show evidence for a phase of matter distinct from the established QAH state and provide a pr...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 4, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Monica AllenZhi-Xun Shen
Dec 17, 2019·Advanced Materials·Fucong FeiBaigeng Wang
Dec 17, 2019·Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP·Hao LiShoushan Fan
Sep 20, 2018·Physical Review Letters·Qing Lin HeKang L Wang
Apr 24, 2019·Physical Review Letters·Wei Chen, J L Lado
Jul 28, 2019·Physical Review Letters·Yuanfeng XuXi Dai
Aug 4, 2020·Physical Review Letters·Jiabin YuChao-Xing Liu
Oct 22, 2019·Physical Review Letters·David J E MarshMazhar N Ali
Aug 7, 2019·Physical Review Letters·Masataka MogiYoshinori Tokura
Oct 6, 2020·Physical Review Letters·Shu-Wei WangCharles G Smith
Jul 1, 2020·Science Advances·Lei PanKang L Wang
Sep 17, 2020·Science Advances·Lei PanKang L Wang
May 1, 2021·Physical Review Letters·Hailong LiX C Xie
Jun 12, 2021·Nature Communications·Mingqiang GuQihang Liu
Jun 27, 2021·Advanced Materials·Weizhuang ZhuoXianhui Chen
Jul 3, 2021·Physical Review Letters·Shuchun HuanYanfeng Guo
Jul 17, 2021·Physical Review Letters·Zhi-Da SongAdy Stern
Jul 23, 2021·Nature·Anyuan GaoSu-Yang Xu
Sep 24, 2021·Nature Communications·Kajetan M FijalkowskiLaurens W Molenkamp

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