Intrinsic quantized anomalous Hall effect in a moiré heterostructure

Intrinsic quantized anomalous Hall effect in a moiré heterostructure

July 2, 2019 | M. Serlin, C. L. Tschirhart, H. Polshyn, Y. Zhang, J. Zhu, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, L. Balents, A. F. Young
The paper reports the observation of a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect in twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG), where the Hall resistance is quantized to within 1% of the von Klitzing constant \( h/e^2 \) at zero magnetic field. This effect is driven by intrinsic strong correlations, which polarize the electron system into a single spin and valley-resolved moiré miniband with a Chern number \( C = 1 \). Unlike magnetically doped systems, the measured transport energy gap \( \Delta/k_B \approx 27 \) K is larger than the Curie temperature for magnetic ordering \( T_C \approx 9 \) K, and the Hall quantization persists to temperatures of several Kelvin. Notably, electrical currents as small as 1 nA can be used to controllably switch the magnetic order between states of opposite polarization, forming an electrically rewritable magnetic memory. The study highlights the unique properties of tBLG, where the flat bands and strong correlations necessary for engineering intrinsic QAH effects are naturally present. The observed QAH state is stabilized by spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry, and the switching transitions are marked by discrete, \( \Delta R \approx h/e^2 \) steps in both longitudinal and Hall resistances, typical of magnetic systems with a small number of domains. The temperature dependence of the QAH effect shows a robust quantization up to the Curie temperature, with an activation energy \( \Delta \) several times larger than \( T_C \). The paper also discusses the current-controlled magnetic switching, where small DC currents can reversibly control the magnetization state of the device, demonstrating a new class of magnetoelectric devices. The switching mechanism is proposed to arise from the interplay of edge state physics and device asymmetry, leading to a linear relationship between the applied current and the Hall resistance, which can be used to switch the magnetization state.The paper reports the observation of a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect in twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG), where the Hall resistance is quantized to within 1% of the von Klitzing constant \( h/e^2 \) at zero magnetic field. This effect is driven by intrinsic strong correlations, which polarize the electron system into a single spin and valley-resolved moiré miniband with a Chern number \( C = 1 \). Unlike magnetically doped systems, the measured transport energy gap \( \Delta/k_B \approx 27 \) K is larger than the Curie temperature for magnetic ordering \( T_C \approx 9 \) K, and the Hall quantization persists to temperatures of several Kelvin. Notably, electrical currents as small as 1 nA can be used to controllably switch the magnetic order between states of opposite polarization, forming an electrically rewritable magnetic memory. The study highlights the unique properties of tBLG, where the flat bands and strong correlations necessary for engineering intrinsic QAH effects are naturally present. The observed QAH state is stabilized by spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry, and the switching transitions are marked by discrete, \( \Delta R \approx h/e^2 \) steps in both longitudinal and Hall resistances, typical of magnetic systems with a small number of domains. The temperature dependence of the QAH effect shows a robust quantization up to the Curie temperature, with an activation energy \( \Delta \) several times larger than \( T_C \). The paper also discusses the current-controlled magnetic switching, where small DC currents can reversibly control the magnetization state of the device, demonstrating a new class of magnetoelectric devices. The switching mechanism is proposed to arise from the interplay of edge state physics and device asymmetry, leading to a linear relationship between the applied current and the Hall resistance, which can be used to switch the magnetization state.
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