Effects of GaAs Buffer Layer on Structural, Magnetic, and Transport Properties of Magnetic Topological Insulators Cr$_y$(Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_{2-y}$Te$_3$ and V$_y$(Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_{2-y}$Te$_3$ Films

TL;DR

This study investigates how a GaAs buffer layer influences the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of magnetic topological insulator films, revealing improved interface quality and tunable electronic characteristics.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the GaAs buffer layer significantly alters the properties of Cr and V-doped topological insulator films, highlighting its role in interface quality and electronic control.

Findings

Improved interface quality with GaAs buffer layer

Enhanced magnetic coercive fields on GaAs

Altered Fermi level and carrier density due to buffer layer

Abstract

Here, we study the effects of a GaAs buffer layer on the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of Cr$_y$(Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_{2-y}$Te$_3$ magnetic topological insulator thin films and compare them with those of V$_y$(Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_{2-y}$Te$_3$, which we recently reported. Similar to the case of V$_y$(Bi$_x$Sb$_{1-x}$)$_{2-y}$Te$_3$, growth on a GaAs buffer layer leads to some distinctly different properties than direct growth on InP substrates. These include improved interface quality confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, enhanced magnetic coercive fields, and smaller resistivity peaks at the magnetization reversals. Furthermore, the Bi-ratio dependence of the carrier density reveals that the interface property also affects the Fermi level. These results demonstrate the importance of the buffer layer in controlling the electronic properties of the magnetic topological insulator films.