Observation of edge supercurrent in topological antiferromagnet MnBi <sub>2</sub> Te <sub>4</sub> -based Josephson junctions

Hybridizing superconductivity with topology and magnetism attracts growing interest in condensed matter physics. Here, we present our findings on the measurement of supercurrent induced in an intrinsic antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub>. By constructing a MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub> proximity Josephson junction, we observed an anomalously large period of the Fraunhofer patterns, indicating a strong Josephson coupling state. As the MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub> thickness is reduced, a distinct asymmetric edge supercurrent emerges, aligning consistently with the observed oscillatory junction magnetoresistance. Leveraging this large asymmetric edge supercurrent, we have realized a nonvolatile Josephson diode device with programmable polarity, achieved through training with an out-of-plane magnetic field. Theoretical calculations substantiate that these behaviors are attributed to the interference between the highly asymmetric topological edge channel-mediated supercurrent induced in MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub>. Our study establishes this system as a promising avenue for investigating topological superconductivity, chiral Majorana edge modes, and advanced functionality device applications.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science Advances
Published
2025-05-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads8730
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Topological Materials and Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.49
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article

Observation of edge supercurrent in topological antiferromagnet MnBi 2 Te 4 -based Josephson junctions

Jin Zou, Jinshan Yang, Faxian Xiu, Xue-Jian Gao et al.
2 citations
Science Advances
Topological Materials and Phenomena
2.49
article

Observation of edge supercurrent in topological antiferromagnet MnBi 2 Te 4 -based Josephson junctions

Jin Zou, Jinshan Yang, Faxian Xiu, Xue-Jian Gao, Linfeng Ai, Chaowei Hu, Enze Zhang, Zi-Ting Sun, K. T. Law, Ni Ni, Ying-Ming Xie, Shanshan Liu, Jingyi Yan, Xufeng Kou, Xian Xu, Yuda Zhang, Zehao Jia, Qiang Ma, Shaoming Dong
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Hybridizing superconductivity with topology and magnetism attracts growing interest in condensed matter physics. Here, we present our findings on the measurement of supercurrent induced in an intrinsic antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub>. By constructing a MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub> proximity Josephson junction, we observed an anomalously large period of the Fraunhofer patterns, indicating a strong Josephson coupling state. As the MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub> thickness is reduced, a distinct asymmetric edge supercurrent emerges, aligning consistently with the observed oscillatory junction magnetoresistance. Leveraging this large asymmetric edge supercurrent, we have realized a nonvolatile Josephson diode device with programmable polarity, achieved through training with an out-of-plane magnetic field. Theoretical calculations substantiate that these behaviors are attributed to the interference between the highly asymmetric topological edge channel-mediated supercurrent induced in MnBi<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>4</sub>. Our study establishes this system as a promising avenue for investigating topological superconductivity, chiral Majorana edge modes, and advanced functionality device applications.

Science AdvancesVol. 11(20)
California NanoSystems Institute (US), University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (CN), The University of Queensland (AU), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK), Fudan University (CN), ShanghaiTech University (CN), Yale University (US), Shanghai Institute of Ceramics (CN), State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, University of Hong Kong (HK)
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Topological Materials and Phenomena
2.49
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