Antiferromagnetic VdW Phase at the Interface of Sputtered Topological Insulator/Ferromagnet-Bi2Te3/Ni80Fe20 Heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a novel antiferromagnetic Van der Waals phase at the interface of sputtered topological insulator/ferromagnet heterostructures, revealing new magnetic topological states with potential for advanced quantum applications.

Contribution

The study uncovers a new interfacial AFM phase in sputtered TI/FM heterostructures, characterized by Ni intercalation and a higher Nel temperature, expanding the understanding of magnetic topological interfaces.

Findings

Presence of a stable AFM phase at the interface with a Nel temperature of 63 K.

Evidence of Ni intercalation leading to solid-state reactions and formation of topologically nontrivial magnetic VdW compounds.

Observation of spontaneous exchange bias indicating magnetic ordering at the interface.

Abstract

Magnetic ordering in topological insulators (TI) is crucial for breaking time-reversal symmetry (TRS) and thereby opening a gap in the topological surface states (TSSs) [1-6], which is the key for realizing useful topological properties such as the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect, axion insulator state and the topological magnetoelectric effect. Combining TIs with magnetic materials can be expected to yield interfaces [26-28] with unique topological and magnetic phases but such interfaces largely remain unexplored. Here, we report the discovery of a novel antiferromagnetic (AFM) Van der Waals (VdW) phase at the interface of a sputtered c-axis oriented TI/FM (Bi2Te3/Ni80Fe20) heterostructure due to the formation of a Ni-intercalated Bi2Te3 VdW interfacial layer. The TI/FM heterostructure is shown to possess a significant spontaneous exchange bias and the presence of an AFM order at the interface via measurements of the hysteresis loop as well as the observation of compensated magnetic moments at the interface using polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR). An in-depth analysis of the structural and chemical properties of the interfacial AFM phase was carried out using selected area electron diffraction (SAED), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These studies show evidence of solid-state reaction between the intercalated Ni atoms and Bi2Te3 layers and of the formation of topologically nontrivial magnetic VdW compounds. The N\'eel temperature of the interfacial AFM phase is 63 K, which is higher than that of typical magnetic topological insulators [53]. Our study shows how industrial CMOS-process-compatible sputtered TI/FM heterostructures can provide a novel materials platform for exploring the emergence of interfacial topological magnetic phases and high-temperature topological magnetic states.