Reconstructing the wavefunction of magnetic topological insulators MnBi2Te4 and MnBi4Te7 using spin-resolved photoemission

2025/06/03 by Xue Han, Han, Xue, Jason Qu +16
Physics and Astronomy · Materials Science · #Topological Materials and Phenomena #Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research #Magnetic properties of thin films

paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2506.02466

Abstract

Despite their importance for exotic quantum effects, the surface electronic structure of magnetic topological insulators MnBi2Te4 and MnBi4Te7 remains poorly understood. Using high-efficiency spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we directly image the spin-polarization and orbital character of the surface states in both compounds and map our observations onto a model wavefunction to describe the complex spin-orbital texture, which solidifies our understanding of the surface band structure by establishing the single-band nature of the most prominent states. Most importantly, our analysis reveals a new mechanism for reducing the magnetic gap of the topological surface states based on the orbital composition of the wavefunction.

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