Imaging Dirac-mass disorder from magnetic dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic topological insulator Crx(Bi0.1Sb0.9)2-xTe3

I. Lee, C.K. Kim, J. Lee, S.J.L. Billinge, R. Zhong, J.A. Schneeloch, T. Liu, T. Valla, J.M. Tranquada, G. Gu, J.C.S. Davis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

To achieve and use the most exotic electronic phenomena predicted for the surface states of 3D topological insulators (TIs), it is necessary to open a “Dirac-mass gap” in their spectrum by breaking time-reversal symmetry. Use of magnetic dopant atoms to generate a ferromagnetic state is the most widely applied approach. However, it is unknown how the spatial arrangements of the magnetic dopant atoms influence the Dirac-mass gap at the atomic scale or, conversely, whether the ferromagnetic interactions between dopant atoms are influenced by the topological surface states. Here we image the locations of the magnetic (Cr) dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic TI Cr0.08(Bi0.1Sb0.9)1.92Te3. Simultaneous visualization of the Dirac-mass gap Δ(r) reveals its intense disorder, which we demonstrate is directly related to fluctuations in n(r), the Cr atom areal density in the termination layer. We find the relationship of surface-state Fermi wavevectors to the anisotropic structure of Δ(r) not inconsistent with predictions for surface ferromagnetism mediated by those states. Moreover, despite the intense Dirac-mass disorder, the anticipated relationship Δ(r)∝n(r) is confirmed throughout and exhibits an electron–dopant interaction energy J* = 145 meV·nm2. These observations reveal how magnetic dopant atoms actually generate the TI mass gap locally and that, to achieve the novel physics expected of time-reversal symmetry breaking TI materials, control of the resulting Dirac-mass gap disorder will be essential.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1316-1321
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume112
Issue number5
Early online date20 Jan 2015
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Feb 2015

Keywords

  • Ferromagnetic topological insulator
  • Dirac-mass gapmap
  • Dirac-mass disorder
  • Magnetic dopant atoms

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