Manipulation of topology by electric field in breathing kagome lattice

TL;DR

This paper explores how electric fields can manipulate the breathing mode in kagome lattices, affecting their topological and magnetic properties, and enabling control over topological states and spin structures.

Contribution

It demonstrates electric field control of breathing modes in kagome lattices, linking structural distortions to topological and magnetic phenomena, which was previously underexplored.

Findings

Electric field can switch breathing modes in kagome monolayers.

Switching breathing modes alters topological states and spin chirality.

Breathing mode manipulation enables transition between trivial and Chern insulators.

Abstract

Magnetic kagome lattices have attracted much attention recently due to the interplay of band topology with magnetism and electronic correlations, which give rise to a variety of exotic quantum states. A common structural distortion of the kagome lattice is the breathing mode, which can significantly influence the magnetism and band characteristics. However, the modulation of breathing mode and the associated topological phenomena remain rarely explored. Here, we demonstrate that the coupling of breathing modes with ferroelectricity, magnetism, and band topology in the M3X8 monolayer system enables electric field manipulation of topological spin structure and electronic states. The breathing mode mainly occurs in materials containing early 4d/5d transition metal elements and can be reversed or even suppressed via ferroelectric switching in low-barrier materials. Importantly, electric field-induced switching of the breathing mode can alter the chirality of the topological spin structure, or trigger a transition from a topological trivial insulator to a Chern insulator. This work paves the way for exploring novel physical phenomena driven by breathing modes in kagome materials.