Antiferromagnetic quantum anomalous Hall effect under spin flips and flops

Zichen Lian, Yongchao Wang, Yongqian Wang, Wen-Han Dong, Yang Feng, Zehao Dong, Mangyuan Ma, Shuai Yang, Liangcai Xu, Yaoxin Li, Bohan Fu, Yuetan Li, Wanjun Jiang, Yong Xu, Chang Liu (), Jinsong Zhang () and Yayu Wang ()
Additional contact information
Zichen Lian: Tsinghua University
Yongchao Wang: Tsinghua University
Yongqian Wang: Renmin University of China
Wen-Han Dong: Tsinghua University
Yang Feng: Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences
Zehao Dong: Tsinghua University
Mangyuan Ma: Tsinghua University
Shuai Yang: Renmin University of China
Liangcai Xu: Tsinghua University
Yaoxin Li: Tsinghua University
Bohan Fu: Renmin University of China
Yuetan Li: Tsinghua University
Wanjun Jiang: Tsinghua University
Yong Xu: Tsinghua University
Chang Liu: Renmin University of China
Jinsong Zhang: Tsinghua University
Yayu Wang: Tsinghua University

Nature, 2025, vol. 641, issue 8061, 70-75

Abstract: Abstract The interplay between nontrivial band topology and layered antiferromagnetism in MnBi2Te4 has opened a new avenue for exploring topological phases of matter1–4. The quantum anomalous Hall effect5 and axion insulator state6 have been observed in odd and even number layers of MnBi2Te4, and the quantum metric nonlinear Hall effect7,8 has been shown to exist in this topological antiferromagnet. The rich and complex antiferromagnetic spin dynamics in MnBi2Te4 is expected to generate new quantum anomalous Hall phenomena that are absent in conventional ferromagnetic topological insulators, but experimental observations are still unknown. Here we fabricate a device of 7-septuple-layer MnBi2Te4 covered with an AlOx capping layer, which enables the investigation of antiferromagnetic quantum anomalous Hall effect over wide parameter spaces. By tuning the gate voltage and perpendicular magnetic field, we uncover a cascade of quantum phase transitions that can be attributed to the influence of complex spin configurations on edge state transport. Furthermore, we find that an in-plane magnetic field enhances both the coercive field and the exchange gap of the surface state, in contrast to that in the ferromagnetic quantum anomalous Hall state. Combined with numerical simulations, we propose that these peculiar features arise from the spin flip and flop transitions that are inherent to a van der Waals antiferromagnet. The versatile tunability of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in MnBi2Te4 paves the way for potential applications in topological antiferromagnetic spintronics9,10.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08860-z

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