ICN2 and IMDEA Nanociencia teams make significant advances in quantum materials using ALBA's LOREA Beamline

by Àlex Argemí

This research provides key insights into how the surface states of topological insulators, a special class of quantum materials, change due to the introduction of magnetic impurities. The findings of this study could significantly advance the field of spintronics and potentially pave the way for future breakthroughs in electronics technology.

Researchers from the ICN2, from the Groups led by ICREA Prof. Aitor Mugarza and ICREA Prof. Sergio O. Valenzuela, and IMDEA Nanociencia, in collaboration with other international institutions, have made a significant breakthrough in the field of quantum materials. Using the LOREA beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron, they have demonstrated how the conducting surface states of a unique class of materials - topological insulators - can be altered through the introduction of magnetic impurities.

Topological insulators are quantum materials that act as electrical insulators internally, but their surfaces conduct electricity. By doping these insulators with a small amount of rare earth elements, the research team discovered significant changes in their electronic properties, such as the band structure and Fermi surface, which account for the distribution of electrons responsible for electrical current.

This study marks a significant step towards better understanding of the quantum anomalous Hall Effect, a phenomenon crucial to the development of spintronics - a technology that could revolutionize the future of electronics.

For more information: www.albasynchrotron.es

Reference:

Beatriz Muñiz Cano, Yago Ferreiros, Pierre A. Pantaleón, Ji Dai, Massimo Tallarida, Adriana I. Figueroa, Vera Marinova, Kevin García-Díez, Aitor Mugarza, Sergio O. Valenzuela, Rodolfo Miranda, Julio Camarero, Francisco Guinea, Jose Angel Silva-Guillén, and Miguel A. Valbuena. Experimental Demonstration of a Magnetically Induced Warping Transition in a Topological Insulator Mediated by Rare-Earth Surface Dopants. Nano Lett. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00587