The Layer-Inserting Growth of Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4 Based on Symmetry and Its X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

The antiferromagnetic topological insulator has attracted lots of attention recently, as its intrinsic magnetism and topological property make it a potential material to realize the quantum anomalous Hall effect at relative high temperature. Until now, only MnBi 2 Te 4 is predicted and grown successfully. The other MB 2 T 4 -family materials predicted (MB 2 T 4 : M = transition metal or rare earth element, B = Bi or Sb, T = Te, Se, or S) with not only antiferromagnetic topological property but also rich and exotic topological quantum states and dynamically stable (or metastable) structure have not been realized on experiment completely. Here, MnBi 2 Te 4 single crystals have been grown successfully by us. It shows typical antiferromagnetic character with Neel temperature of 24.5 K and a spin-flop transition at H ≈ 35,000 Oe, 1.8 K. In order to obtain the other members of MB 2 T 4 -family materials, it is necessary to understand the growth mode of MnBi 2 Te 4 . Its growth mode may be the layer-inserting growth mode based on symmetry, which is supported by our X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) result, as the intrinsic chemical states of Mn and Te of MnBi 2 Te 4 are the same with those of inserting material α -MnTe. Understanding the growth mode of MnBi 2 Te 4 can help us to grow the other members of MB 2 T 4 -family materials.