Critical analysis of proximity-induced magnetism in MnTe/Bi2Te3 heterostructures

An elegant approach to overcome the intrinsic limitations of magnetically doped topological insulators is to bring a topological insulator in direct contact with a magnetic material. The aspiration is to realize the quantum anomalous Hall effect at high temperatures where the symmetry-breaking magnetic field is provided by a proximity-induced magnetization at the interface. Hence, a detailed understanding of the interfacial magnetism in such heterostructures is crucial, yet its distinction from structural and magnetic background effects is a rather nontrivial task. Here, we combine several magnetic characterization techniques to investigate the magnetic ordering in MnTe/Bi2Te3 heterostructures. A magnetization profile of the layer stack is obtained using depth-sensitive polarized neutron reflectometry. The magnetic constituents are characterized in more detail using element-sensitive magnetic x-ray spectroscopy. Magnetotransport measurements provide additional information about the magnetic transitions. We find that the supposedly antiferromagnetic MnTe layer does not exhibit an x-ray magnetic linear dichroic signal, raising doubt that it is in its antiferromagnetic state. Instead, Mn seems to penetrate into the surface region of the Bi2Te3 layer. Furthermore, the interface between MnTe and Bi2Te3 is not abrupt, but extending over similar to 2.2 nm. These conditions are the likely reason that we do not observe proximity-induced magnetization at the interface. Our findings illustrate the importance of not solely relying on one single technique as proof for proximity-induced magnetism at interfaces. We demonstrate that a holistic, multitechnique approach is essential to gain a more complete picture of the magnetic structure in which the interface is embedded.

Automated summary

An elegant approach to overcome the limitations of magnetically doped topological insulators is to directly contact a topological insulator with a magnetic material. In this study, the magnetic ordering in MnTe/Bi2Te3 heterostructures is investigated using multiple magnetic characterization techniques. It is found that the supposed antiferromagnetic behavior of MnTe layer is doubtful, as Mn seems to penetrate into the surface region of the Bi2Te3 layer. The interface between MnTe and Bi2Te3 is also found to be extended over a certain distance, which may explain the lack of proximity-induced magnetization at the interface.