Quantum anomalous Hall effect in two-dimensional magnetic insulator heterojunctions

ORAL

Abstract

In this talk, we propose an alternative approach to realize the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect, a typical example of a magnetic topological phase, via engineering two-dimensional (2D) magnetic van der Waals heterojunctions. Instead of a single magnetic topological material, we search for the combinations of two 2D (typically trivial) magnetic insulator compounds with specific band alignment so that they can together form a type-III broken gap heterojunction with topologically non-trivial band structure. By combining the data-driven materials search, first-principles calculations, and the symmetry-based analytical models, we identify 8 type-III broken gap heterojunctions consisting of 2D ferromagnetic insulators in the MXY compound family as a set of candidates for the QAH effect. In particular, we directly calculate the topological invariant (Chern number) and chiral edge states in the MnNF/MnNCl heterojunction with ferromagnetic stacking. This work illustrates how data-driven material science can be combined with symmetry-based physical principles to guide the search for heterojunction-based quantum materials hosting the QAH effect and other exotic quantum states in general.

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Presenters

  • Qimin Yan

    • Temple University
    • Physics, Temple University

Authors

  • Jinbo Pan

    • Temple University

  • Jiabin Yu

    • Pennsylvania State University
    • Condensed Matter Theory Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Yanfang Zhang

    • Temple University

  • Shixuan Du

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    • School of physical sciences, Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Chinese Academy of Science
    • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Anderson Janotti

    • 2- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
    • University of Delaware
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware
    • Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Delaware

  • Chaoxing Liu

    • The department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University
    • Pennsylvania State University
    • Department of Physics, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park

  • Qimin Yan

    • Temple University
    • Physics, Temple University