Chern-Insulator Phase in Antiferromagnets

Liu, Yuntian1,2; Li, Jiayu1,2; Liu, Qihang1,2,3

2023-09-01

10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02489

NANO LETTERS   Impact Factor & Quartile

1530-6984

1530-6992

The long-sought Chern insulators that manifest a quantum anomalous Hall effect are typically considered to occur in ferromagnets. Here, we theoretically predict the realizabilities of Chern insulators in antiferromagnets, in which the magnetic sublattices are connected by symmetry operators enforcing zero net magnetic moment. Our symmetry analysis provides comprehensive magnetic layer point groups that allow antiferromagnetic (AFM) Chern insulators, revealing that an in-plane magnetic configuration is required. Followed by first-principles calculations, such design principles naturally lead to two categories of material candidates, exemplified by monolayer RbCr4S8 and bilayer Mn3Sn with collinear and noncollinear AFM orders, respectively. We further show that the Chern number could be tuned by slight ferromagnetic canting as an effective pivot. Our work elucidates the nature of the Chern-insulator phase in AFM systems, paving a new avenue for designing quantum anomalous Hall insulators with the integration of nondissipative transport and the promising advantages of the AFM order.

quantum anomalous Hall effect antiferromagnets magnetic group first-principles calculations

SCI

English

NI Journal Papers

First ; Corresponding

National Key R&D Program of China[2020YFA0308900] ; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Computational Science and Material Design[2019B030301001]

Chemistry ; Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Materials Science ; Physics

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary ; Chemistry, Physical ; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary ; Physics, Applied ; Physics, Condensed Matter

WOS:001067281000001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

MATERIALS SCIENCE

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Phys, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Shenzhen Inst Quantum Sci & Engn SIQSE, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
3.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Guangdong Prov Key Lab Computat Sci & Mat Design, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China

Liu, Yuntian,Li, Jiayu,Liu, Qihang. Chern-Insulator Phase in Antiferromagnets[J]. NANO LETTERS,2023.

Liu, Yuntian,Li, Jiayu,&Liu, Qihang.(2023).Chern-Insulator Phase in Antiferromagnets.NANO LETTERS.

Liu, Yuntian,et al."Chern-Insulator Phase in Antiferromagnets".NANO LETTERS (2023).