Delicate Ferromagnetism in MnBi₆Te₁₀

Abstract

Tailoring magnetic orders in topological insulators is critical to the realization of topological quantum phenomena. An outstanding challenge is to find a material where atomic defects lead to tunable magnetic orders while maintaining a nontrivial topology. Here, by combining magnetization measurements, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, we reveal disorder-enabled, tunable magnetic ground states in MnBi₆Te₁₀. In the ferromagnetic phase, an energy gap of 15 meV is resolved at the Dirac point on the MnBi₂Te₄ termination. In contrast, antiferromagnetic MnBi₆Te₁₀ exhibits gapless topological surface states on all terminations. Transmission electron microscopy and magnetization measurements reveal substantial Mn vacancies and Mn migration in ferromagnetic MnBi₆Te₁₀. We provide a conceptual framework where a cooperative interplay of these defects drives a delicate change of overall magnetic ground state energies and leads to tunable magnetic topological orders. Our work provides a clear pathway for nanoscale defect-engineering toward the realization of topological quantum phases.