Thin film quantum materials

Abstract:

Breaking time-reversal symmetry through magnetic doping of topological insulators has been identified as a key strategy for unlocking exotic physical states. Here, we report the growth of Bi2Te3 thin films doped with the highest magnetic moment element Ho. Diffraction studies demonstrate high quality films for up to 21% Ho incorporation. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry reveals paramagnetism down to 2 K with an effective magnetic moment of ∼5 μB/Ho. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows that the topological surface state remains intact with Ho doping, consistent with the material's paramagnetic state. The large saturation moment achieved makes these films useful for incorporation into heterostructures, whereby magnetic order can be introduced via interfacial coupling.

Abstract:

By coupling magnetic elements to metamaterials, hybrid metamolecules can be created with useful properties such as photon-magnon mode mixing. Here, we present results for a split-ring resonator (SRR) placed in close proximity to a thin crystalline film of magnetically hard FeCo. Eddy-current shielding is suppressed by patterning the FeCo into 100-μm disks. At the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) condition of FeCo, photon-magnon coupling strengths of 5% are observed. Altogether, three distinct features are presented and discussed: (i) remanent magnets allow FMR to be performed in a near-zero field, partially eliminating the need for applied fields; (ii) the anisotropic FMR permits angular control over hybrid SRR and FMR resonances; and (iii) the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization of FeCo opens the door to “magnetically configurable metamaterials” in real time. Finally, a special study is presented of how best to excite the numerous transverse magnetic and electric modes of the SRR by using near-field excitation from a coplanar waveguide.

Abstract:

The breaking of time reversal symmetry (TRS) in three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) and thus the opening of a ‘Dirac-mass gap’ in the linearly dispersed Dirac surface state, is a prerequisite for unlocking exotic physical states. Introducing ferromagnetic long-range order by transition metal doping has been shown to break TRS. Here, we present the study of lanthanide (Ln) doped Bi2Te3, where the magnetic doping with high-moment lanthanides promises large energy gaps. Using molecular beam epitaxy, single-crystalline, rhombohedral thin films with Ln concentrations of up to ~35%, substituting on Bi sites, were achieved for Dy, Gd and Ho doping. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows the characteristic Dirac cone for Gd and Ho doping. In contrast, for Dy doping above a critical doping concentration, a gap opening is observed via the decreased spectral intensity at the Dirac point, indicating a topological quantum phase transition persisting up to room-temperature.

Abstract:

Non-uniform magnetic domains with non-trivial topology, such as vortices and skyrmions, are proposed as superior state variables for nonvolatile information storage. So far, the possibility of logic operations using topological objects has not been considered. Here, we demonstrate numerically that the topology of the system plays a significant role for its dynamics, using the example of vortex-antivortex pairs in a planar ferromagnetic film. Utilising the dynamical properties and geometrical confinement, direct logic communication between the topological memory carriers is realised. This way, no additional magnetic-to-electrical conversion is required. More importantly, the information carriers can spontaneously travel up to ~300 nm, for which no spin-polarised current is required. The derived logic scheme enables topological spintronics, which can be integrated into large-scale memory and logic networks capable of complex computations.