Depth-Resolved Magnetic Order in Superconducting Topological Insulator/FeTe Thin Film Heterostructures

Published

October 14, 2025

Author(s)

Purnima P. Balakrishnan, Hemian Yi, Zi-Jie Yan, Wei Yuan, Andreas Suter, Christopher Jensen, Pascal Manuel, Fabio Orlandi, Takayasu Hanashima, Christy Kinane, Andrew Caruana, Dirk Backes, Padraic Shafer, Brian Maranville, Zaher Salman, Thomas Prokscha, Cui-Zu Chang, Alexander Grutter

Abstract

The search for chiral topological superconductivity in magnetic topological insulator (TI)-FeTe heterostructures is a key frontier in condensed matter physics, with potential applications in topological quantum computing. The combination of ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and topologically nontrivial surface states brings together the key elements required for chiral Majorana physics. In this work, we examine the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity at the interfaces between FeTe and a series of Te-based TI overlayers. In both Te/FeTe and superconducting MnBi2Te4/FeTe, any interfacial suppression of antiferromagnetism must affect at most a few nanometers. On the other hand, (Bi, Sb)2Te3/FeTe layers exhibit near-total suppression of antiferromagnetic ordering. Ferromagnetic Crx (Bi, Sb)2−xTe3 (CBST)/FeTe bilayers exhibit net magnetization in both CBST and FeTe layers, with evidence of interactions between superconductivity and ferromagnetism. These observations identify magnetic TI/FeTe interfaces as an exceptionally robust platform to realize chiral topological superconductivity.

Citation

Physical Review Materials

Volume

9

Issue

10

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

magnetism, superconductivity, heterostructure, thin film, topological insulator

Citation

Balakrishnan, P. , Yi, H. , Yan, Z. , Yuan, W. , Suter, A. , Jensen, C. , Manuel, P. , Orlandi, F. , Hanashima, T. , Kinane, C. , Caruana, A. , Backes, D. , Shafer, P. , Maranville, B. , Salman, Z. , Prokscha, T. , Chang, C. and Grutter, A. (2025), Depth-Resolved Magnetic Order in Superconducting Topological Insulator/FeTe Thin Film Heterostructures, Physical Review Materials, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=959048 (Accessed October 14, 2026)

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