Chemical Aspects of the Candidate Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4

Zeugner A, Nietschke F, Wolter AUB, Gass S, Vidal RC, Peixoto TRF, Pohl D, Damm C, Lubk A, Hentrich R, Moser SK, Fornari C, Min CH, Schatz S, Kissner K, Uenzelmann M, Kaiser M, Scaravaggi F, Rellinghaus B, Nielsch K, Hess C, Buechner B, Reinert F, Bentmann H, Oeckler O, Doert T, Ruck M, Isaeva A (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

Chemistry of Materials American Chemical Society

Book Volume: 31

Pages Range: 2795-2806

Journal Issue: 8

DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b05017

Abstract

High-quality single crystals of MnBi 2 Te 4 are grown for the first time by slow cooling within a narrow range between the melting points of Bi 2 Te 3 (586 °C) and MnBi 2 Te 4 (600 °C). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy reveal ubiquitous antisite defects in both cation sites and, possibly, Mn vacancies (Mn 0.85(3) Bi 2.10(3) Te 4 ). Thermochemical studies complemented with high-temperature X-ray diffraction establish a limited high-temperature range of phase stability and metastability at room temperature. Nevertheless, the synthesis of MnBi 2 Te 4 can be scaled-up as powders can be obtained at subsolidus temperatures and quenched at room temperature. Bulk samples exhibit long-range antiferromagnetic ordering below 24 K. The Mn(II) out-of-plane magnetic state is confirmed by the magnetization, X-ray photoemission, X-ray absorption, and linear dichroism measurements. The compound shows a metallic type of resistivity in the range 4.5-300 K and is an n-type conductor that reaches a thermoelectric figure of merit up to ZT = 0.17. Angle-resolved photoemission experiments show a surface state forming a gapped Dirac cone, thus strengthening MnBi 2 Te 4 as a promising candidate for the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator, in accordance with theoretical predictions. The developed synthetic protocols enable further experimental studies of a crossover between magnetic ordering and nontrivial topology in bulk MnBi 2 Te 4 .

Involved external institutions

Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden e.V. (IFW) / Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden

Germany (DE) Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Germany (DE) Technische Universität Dresden

Germany (DE) Universität Leipzig

Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Zeugner, A., Nietschke, F., Wolter, A.U.B., Gass, S., Vidal, R.C., Peixoto, T.R.F.,... Isaeva, A. (2019). Chemical Aspects of the Candidate Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4. Chemistry of Materials, 31(8), 2795-2806. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b05017

MLA:

Zeugner, Alexander, et al. "Chemical Aspects of the Candidate Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4." Chemistry of Materials 31.8 (2019): 2795-2806.

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