Towards the quantized anomalous Hall effect in AlO_x-capped MnBi₂Te₄.

Abstract

The quantum anomalous Hall effect in layered antiferromagnet MnBi₂Te₄ harbors a rich interplay between magnetism and topology, holding a significant promise for low-power electronic devices and topological antiferromagnetic spintronics. In recent years, MnBi₂Te₄ has garnered considerable attention as the only known material to exhibit the antiferromagnetic quantum anomalous Hall effect. However, this field faces significant challenges as the quantization at zero magnetic field depending critically on fabricating high-quality devices. In this article, we introduce a straightforward yet effective method to mitigate the detrimental effect of the standard fabrication on MnBi₂Te₄ by depositing an AlO_x layer on the surface before fabrication. Optical contrast and magnetotransport measurements on over 50 MnBi₂Te₄ demonstrate that AlO_x can effectively preserve the pristine states of the devices. Surprisingly, we find this simple method can significantly enhance the anomalous Hall effect towards quantization, which resolves a longstanding challenge in the field of MnBi₂Te₄. Scaling relation analysis further reveals the intrinsic mechanism of anomalous Hall effect dominated by Berry curvature at various magnetic configuration. By tuning the gate voltage, we uncover a gate independent magnetism in odd-layer MnBi₂Te₄ devices. Our experiments not only pave the way for the fabrication of high-quality dissipationless transport devices, but also advance the investigation of exotic topological quantum phenomena in 2D materials.