Magnetic topological insulator

Magnetic topological insulators are three dimensional magnetic materials with a non-trivial topological index protected by a symmetry other than time-reversal.[1][2][3][4][5] In contrast with a non-magnetic topological insulator, a magnetic topological insulator can have naturally gapped surface states as long as the quantizing symmetry is broken at the surface. These gapped surfaces exhibit a topologically protected half-quantized surface anomalous Hall conductivity (${\displaystyle e^{2}/2h}$) perpendicular to the surface. The sign of the half-quantized surface anomalous Hall conductivity depends on the specific surface termination.[6]

Theory

Axion coupling

The ${\displaystyle \mathbb {Z} _{2}}$ classification of a 3D crystalline topological insulator can be understood in terms of the axion coupling ${\displaystyle \theta }$. A scalar quantity that is determined from the ground state wavefunction[7]

${\displaystyle \theta =-{\frac {1}{4\pi }}\int _{BZ}d^{3}k\,\epsilon ^{\alpha \beta \gamma }{\text{Tr}}{\Big [}{\mathcal {A}}_{\alpha }\partial _{\beta }{\mathcal {A}}_{\gamma }-i{\frac {2}{3}}{\mathcal {A}}_{\alpha }{\mathcal {A}}_{\beta }{\mathcal {A}}_{\gamma }{\Big ]}}$ .

where ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {A}}_{\alpha }}$ is a shorthand notation for the Berry connection matrix

${\displaystyle {\mathcal {A}}_{j}^{nm}(\mathbf {k} )=\langle u_{n\mathbf {k} }|i\partial _{k_{j}}|u_{m\mathbf {k} }\rangle }$,

where ${\displaystyle |u_{m\mathbf {k} }\rangle }$ is the cell-periodic part of the ground state Bloch wavefunction.

The topological nature of the axion coupling is evident if one considers gauge transformations. In this condensed matter setting a gauge transformation is a unitary transformation between states at the same ${\displaystyle \mathbf {k} }$ point

${\displaystyle |{\tilde {\psi }}_{n\mathbf {k} }\rangle =U_{mn}(\mathbf {k} )|\psi _{n\mathbf {k} }\rangle }$.

Now a gauge transformation will cause ${\displaystyle \theta \rightarrow \theta +2\pi n}$ , ${\displaystyle n\in \mathbb {N} }$. Since a gauge choice is arbitrary, this property tells us that ${\displaystyle \theta }$ is only well defined in an interval of length ${\displaystyle 2\pi }$ e.g. ${\displaystyle \theta \in [-\pi ,\pi ]}$.

The final ingredient we need to acquire a ${\displaystyle \mathbb {Z} _{2}}$ classification based on the axion coupling comes from observing how crystalline symmetries act on ${\displaystyle \theta }$.

• Fractional lattice translations ${\displaystyle \tau _{q}}$, n-fold rotations ${\displaystyle C_{n}}$: ${\displaystyle \theta \rightarrow \theta }$.
• Time-reversal ${\displaystyle T}$, inversion ${\displaystyle I}$: ${\displaystyle \theta \rightarrow -\theta }$.

The consequence is that if time-reversal or inversion are symmetries of the crystal we need to have ${\displaystyle \theta =-\theta }$ and that can only be true if ${\displaystyle \theta =0}$(trivial),${\displaystyle \pi }$(non-trivial) (note that ${\displaystyle -\pi }$ and ${\displaystyle \pi }$ are identified) giving us a ${\displaystyle \mathbb {Z} _{2}}$ classification. Furthermore, we can combine inversion or time-reversal with other symmetries that do not affect ${\displaystyle \theta }$ to acquire new symmetries that quantize ${\displaystyle \theta }$. For example, mirror symmetry can always be expressed as ${\displaystyle m=I*C_{2}}$ giving rise to crystalline topological insulators,[8] while the first intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi${\displaystyle _{2}}$Te${\displaystyle _{4}}$[9][10] has the quantizing symmetry ${\displaystyle S=T*\tau _{1/2}}$.

Surface anomalous hall conductivity

So far we have discussed the mathematical properties of the axion coupling. Physically, a non-trivial axion coupling (${\displaystyle \theta =\pi }$) will result in a half-quantized surface anomalous Hall conductivity (${\displaystyle \sigma _{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}=e^{2}/2h}$) if the surface states are gapped. To see this, note that in general ${\displaystyle \sigma _{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$ has two contribution. One comes from the axion coupling ${\displaystyle \theta }$, a quantity that is determined from bulk considerations as we have seen, while the other is the Berry phase ${\displaystyle \phi }$ of the surface states at the Fermi level and therefore depends on the surface. In summary for a given surface termination the perpendicular component of the surface anomalous Hall conductivity to the surface will be

${\displaystyle \sigma _{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}=-{\frac {e^{2}}{h}}{\frac {\theta -\phi }{2\pi }}\ {\text{mod}}\ e^{2}/h}$.

The expression for ${\displaystyle \sigma _{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$ is defined ${\displaystyle {\text{mod}}\ e^{2}/h}$ because a surface property (${\displaystyle \sigma _{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$) can be determined from a bulk property (${\displaystyle \theta }$) up to a quantum. To see this, consider a block of a material with some initial ${\displaystyle \theta }$ which we wrap with a 2D quantum anomalous Hall insulator with Chern index ${\displaystyle C=1}$. As long as we do this without closing the surface gap, we are able to increase ${\displaystyle \sigma _{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$ by ${\displaystyle e^{2}/h}$ without altering the bulk, and therefore without altering the axion coupling ${\displaystyle \theta }$.

One of the most dramatic effects occurs when ${\displaystyle \theta =\pi }$ and time-reversal symmetry is present, i.e. non-magnetic topological insulator. Since ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\sigma }}_{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$ is a pseudovector on the surface of the crystal, it must respect the surface symmetries, and ${\displaystyle T}$ is one of them, but ${\displaystyle T{\boldsymbol {\sigma }}_{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}=-{\boldsymbol {\sigma }}_{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$ resulting in ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\sigma }}_{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}=0}$. This forces ${\displaystyle \phi =\pi }$ on every surface resulting in a Dirac cone (or more generally an odd number of Dirac cones) on every surface and therefore making the boundary of the material conducting.

On the other hand, if time-reversal symmetry is absent, other symmetries can quantize ${\displaystyle \theta =\pi }$ and but not force ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\sigma }}_{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$ to vanish. The most extreme case is the case of inversion symmetry (I). Inversion is never a surface symmetry and therefore a non-zero ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\sigma }}_{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}}$ is valid. In the case that a surface is gapped, we have ${\displaystyle \phi =0}$ which results in a half-quantized surface AHC ${\displaystyle \sigma _{\text{AHC}}^{\text{surf}}=-{\frac {e^{2}}{2h}}}$.

A half quantized surface Hall conductivity and a related treatment is also valid to understand topological insulators in magnetic field [11] giving an effective axion description of the electrodynamics of these materials.[12] This term leads to several interesting predictions including a quantized magnetoelectric effect.[13] Evidence for this effect has recently been given in THz spectroscopy experiments performed at the Johns Hopkins University.[14]

Experimental realizations

Magnetically doped topological insulators

Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators

References

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2. "'Magnetic topological insulator' makes its own magnetic field". phys.org. Phys.org. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
3. Xu, Su-Yang; Neupane, Madhab et.al., (2012). "Hedgehog spin texture and Berry's phase tuning in a Magnetic Topological Insulator". Nature Physics. 8 (8): 616–622. arXiv:1212.3382. doi:10.1038/nphys2351. ISSN 1745-2481.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
4. Hasan, M. Zahid; Xu, Su-Yang; Neupane, Madhab (2015), "Topological Insulators, Topological Dirac semimetals, Topological Crystalline Insulators, and Topological Kondo Insulators", Topological Insulators, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 55–100, doi:10.1002/9783527681594.ch4, ISBN 978-3-527-68159-4, retrieved 2020-04-23
5. Hasan, M. Z.; Kane, C. L. (2010-11-08). "Colloquium: Topological insulators". Reviews of Modern Physics. 82 (4): 3045–3067. arXiv:1002.3895. Bibcode:2010RvMP...82.3045H. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.82.3045.
6. Varnava, Nicodemos; Vanderbilt, David (2018-12-13). "Surfaces of axion insulators". Physical Review B. 98 (24): 245117. arXiv:1809.02853. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.98.245117.
7. Qi, Xiao-Liang; Hughes, Taylor L.; Zhang, Shou-Cheng (24 November 2008). "Topological field theory of time-reversal invariant insulators". Physical Review B. 78 (19): 195424. arXiv:0802.3537. Bibcode:2008PhRvB..78s5424Q. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.78.195424.
8. Fu, Liang (8 March 2011). "Topological Crystalline Insulators". Physical Review Letters. 106 (10): 106802. arXiv:1010.1802. Bibcode:2011PhRvL.106j6802F. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.106802. PMID 21469822.
9. Gong, Yan; et al. (20 September 2018). "Experimental realization of an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator". arXiv:1809.07926 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci].
10. Otrokov, Mikhail M.; et al. (19 September 2018). "Prediction and observation of the first antiferromagnetic topological insulator". arXiv:1809.07389 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci].
11. Wilczek, Frank (4 May 1987). "Two applications of axion electrodynamics". Physical Review Letters. 58 (18): 1799–1802. Bibcode:1987PhRvL..58.1799W. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.58.1799. PMID 10034541.
12. Qi, Xiao-Liang; Hughes, Taylor L.; Zhang, Shou-Cheng (24 November 2008). "Topological field theory of time-reversal invariant insulators". Physical Review B. 78 (19): 195424. arXiv:0802.3537. Bibcode:2008PhRvB..78s5424Q. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.78.195424.
13. Franz, Marcel (24 November 2008). "High-energy physics in a new guise". Physics. 1: 36. Bibcode:2008PhyOJ...1...36F. doi:10.1103/Physics.1.36.
14. Wu, Liang; Salehi, M.; Koirala, N.; Moon, J.; Oh, S.; Armitage, N. P. (2 December 2016). "Quantized Faraday and Kerr rotation and axion electrodynamics of a 3D topological insulator". Science. 354 (6316): 1124–1127. arXiv:1603.04317. Bibcode:2016Sci...354.1124W. doi:10.1126/science.aaf5541. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 27934759.