Reconfigurable Magnetotransport in MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub> via Gate and Magnetic Field Tuning.

Jie, Yuang; Cai, Xiaofan; Lin, Yijie; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Yan, Jiaqiang; Ovchinnikov, Dmitry; Avsar, Ahmet · Adv Mater · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub> is a promising platform for exploring quantum phases with nontrivial band topology and for enabling electrical control over coupled magnetic and electronic phase transitions. In-plane magnetic fields, in particular, offer a distinct means of tuning these properties by strengthening quantized Hall effects, enhancing surface energy gaps, and driving spin reorientation transitions. However, a systematic understanding of how such fields affect magnetotransport is limited. Here, the magnetotransport behavior of few-layer MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub> as a function of gate voltage, temperature, and magnetic field angle, with a primary focus on in-plane field effects, are investigated. A gate-tunable crossover in magnetoresistance is observed from positive to negative values under in-plane magnetic fields as the gate voltage is swept below the charge neutrality point at temperatures below the Néel temperature. The in-plane field drives a transition from the antiferromagnetic ground state to a ferromagnetic configuration with spins aligned in-plane, while simultaneously altering the electronic structure, as revealed by gate-dependent transport features. The angle-dependent measurements reveal strongly gate-tunable magnetotransport anisotropy. These results establish in-plane magnetic fields as an effective tuning parameter for modulating spin and charge transport in MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub>, advancing prospects for reconfigurable spintronic and topological devices.