Tunable Magnetic Domains in Ferrimagnetic MnSb2Te4

Nano Lett. 2024 Apr 17;24(15):4393-4399. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c05058. Epub 2024 Apr 3.

Abstract

Highly tunable properties make Mn(Bi,Sb)2Te4 a rich playground for exploring the interplay between band topology and magnetism: On one end, MnBi2Te4 is an antiferromagnetic topological insulator, while the magnetic structure of MnSb2Te4 (MST) can be tuned between antiferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic. Motivated to control electronic properties through real-space magnetic textures, we use magnetic force microscopy (MFM) to image the domains of ferrimagnetic MST. We find that magnetic field tunes between stripe and bubble domain morphologies, raising the possibility of topological spin textures. Moreover, we combine in situ transport with domain manipulation and imaging to both write MST device properties and directly measure the scaling of the Hall response with the domain area. This work demonstrates measurement of the local anomalous Hall response using MFM and opens the door to reconfigurable domain-based devices in the M(B,S)T family.

Keywords: 2D materials; anomalous Hall effect; magnetic domains; magnetic force microscopy; magnetic topological materials.