Interlayer Ferromagnetism and High-Temperature Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in \textit{p}-Doped MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ Multilayers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that p-doping MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ multilayers induces interlayer ferromagnetism, enabling high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect without external magnetic fields, by altering magnetic coupling and band topology.

Contribution

It introduces a p-doping strategy to switch interlayer magnetic coupling from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ multilayers, facilitating high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect.

Findings

P-doping induces interlayer ferromagnetism in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ multilayers.

Thicker layers with Ca or Mg doping exhibit quantum anomalous Hall effect.

P-doping compensates intrinsic n-type defects, enhancing topological properties.

Abstract

The interlayer antiferromagnetic coupling hinders the observation of quantum anomalous Hall effect in magnetic topological insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. We demonstrate that interlayer \textit{ferromagnetism} can be established by utilizing the \textit{p}-doping method in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ multilayers. In two septuple-layers system, the interlayer ferromagnetic coupling appears by doping nonmagnetic elements (e.g., N, P, As, Na, Mg, K, and Ca), due to the redistribution of orbital occupations of Mn. We further find that Mg and Ca elements are the most suitable candidates because of their low formation energy. Although, the \textit{p}-doped two septuple layers exhibit topologically trivial band structure, the increase of layer thickness to three (four) septuple layers with Ca (Mg) dopants leads to the formation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Our proposed \textit{p}-doping strategy not only makes MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ become an ideal platform to realize the high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect without external magnetic field, but also can compensate the electrons from the intrinsic \textit{n}-type defects in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$.